Parallel Secrets
by ariandula
Summary: Follows Disappearing Frost and The Cracked Badge. Frank and Nancy are on vacation in River Heights hoping for some time alone. Ned, Nancy's ex, shatters their peace and quiet, showing up on their doorstep needing help. Meanwhile, Joe can't seem to convince Vanessa to go out with him. That is, until a mysterious and threatening burglar brings them together.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back again! And, I have especially good news: **

**This story is already complete. **

**That means no waiting for me to get my butt in gear and finish it. No months and months between updates. I will have a regular posting schedule. I don't know yet exactly what it will be, but I'm planning for at least once a week, probably more.**

**This story is the third in my series - Disappearing Frost, The Cracked Badge, and now Parallel Secrets. You don't have to read the others to completely understand, but I have changed some minor things in my Hardy/Drew universe over the course of the series.**

**Please, PLEASE let me know what you think. Reviews truly do mean the world to me, even if they're constructive. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything your recognize. I do own a tiny three-foot Christmas tree!**

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PARALLEL SECRETS

Chapter One

Nancy and Frank were tired.

Tired of traveling. Tired of sleeping in beds that didn't belong to either one of them. Tired of staying away from each other.

The city of River Heights stretched out beyond Chicago as their plane made its descent. A patchwork of fields just barely turning golden nudged against the back of neighborhoods while downtown Chicago loomed in the distance.

Nancy knew that she should be used to flying with all of the travel she did for her work as a CIA agent, but she still couldn't quite get past the sinking feeling in her gut as the plane made a sharp turn, preparing to line up with the runway.

"You doing okay?"

Nancy turned to the tall, handsome young man next to her. He had graciously given her the window seat so she could watch her home come into a view. A shock of dark brown hair threatened to fall into his eyes. The messy look was foreign compared to his formerly tidy appearance, but she couldn't say she hated it.

"Yeah, I think I just need to get on the ground and walk around a little bit."

"Well, at least there's a bit of a hike to the baggage claim. We could make a lap around the terminal first, though, if that would help," Frank said, and Nancy could practically see the options running through his mind.

Just as the plane seemed lined up for the runway, it veered off again, ascending higher into the clouds once more.

"The pilot must have been waved off for some reason," Frank said, hoping to distract her.

Nancy managed a weak smile in response.

Frank reached for her hand and squeezed as the plane made another circle in the air. The scenery outside of her window turned blue as her side of the plane tilted up into the sky. Nancy took comfort in the warm skin enveloping her own, only resisting the urge to lean her head on his shoulder because she worried she'd hit her head upon wheels-down.

Finally the plane came around again, and Nancy doubted they would be waved off another time as the runway came closer and closer. The landing took her by surprise as the entire plane seemed to slam against the ground, shaking the passengers and dislodging some of the oxygen masks a couple rows ahead of them. The yellow cup-like things bounced on their plastic tubing, an ominous threat even though they were safely on the ground.

Nancy felt Frank laugh, a short sharp thing that moved his body. "Well, I can't say I've ever seen that happen before."

"Yeah, well, I can't say I've ever been in a plane that was put down that hard before, either."

"True," Frank agreed. "At least we're down now."

The seatbelt light flicked off with a ding and sleepy passengers jumped into action, unbuckling themselves from their seats and throwing themselves into the aisle, hoping to get off the plane as soon as possible.

Nancy and Frank sat back and let the others ahead of them go, seeing no reason to hurry up only to wait again.

As the final group of people in front of them moseyed off the plane, Nancy and Frank stood up and pulled down their carry-ons. Frank pulled out his phone to let his family know that they had made it to Chicago okay, relatively speaking.

He followed Nancy's red hair up the aisle as he listened to his phone dial.

"So, no spectacular mishaps, I trust?" his brother's voice said by way of greeting.

"That depends, I guess," Frank said with a laugh. "We circled the city a handful of times and Nancy turned a fetching shade of green." He barely jumped out of the way in time to avoid her backwards kick at his shin.

"That's not exciting at all," Joe said, disappointment coloring his voice.

"I'm not exactly sure what you were hoping for, but maybe you'll feel better that some oxygen masks dropped upon landing." They breached the gate door and Frank took a deep breath of the humid Chicago air, only barely cooled by the air conditioning in the terminal.

"Now that's more like it. Did you put them on?"

Frank almost laughed at the excitement in his brother's voice. "Not without you there backing me up."

"Man, you're practically worthless without me. You know that, right?"

"Absolutely. Just don't get into too much trouble while I'm away, got it?"

"Please. Since Con took over as police chief this place has been snoozeville. I'm thinking about going to the City just to wake up a little."

"Yeah, maybe you could actually take Vanessa out on a real date."

Joe made a sound of discouragement. "If she'd ever let me."

"I believe in you, little brother. Just wait - you'll be married before I even get back."

Frank had to pull the phone away from his ear to keep from going deaf from Joe's peals of laughter.

"Oh, that was a good one. And on that note, I'm going to let you get back to your more exciting life."

Joe was still laughing when Frank heard him hang up. Frank shook his head, already wondering how his brother would survive without his guidance.

"Do I want to know?" Nancy asked as they stepped through security on their way to baggage claim.

"No. Just... Joe."

"Enough said."

Frank pulled his girlfriend - and it felt so good to finally be able to use that word - out of the foot traffic to lean against a wall as they waited for the conveyor to start up.

Nancy's hair had mostly fallen out of its ponytail on the plane, so he tucked a lock of it behind her ear. Leaving his fingers resting against her cheek, he asked again how she was feeling.

"Really, I'm okay. It was just a bit of a bumpy flight," she said, relaxing into his touch.

Frank was just about to lean in for a kiss when three beeps signaled the start of the conveyor. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment instead, breathing in the sweet scent of her. He still couldn't entirely believe that he was here with her in her hometown, on vacation. He'd never before been in River Heights without Ned being practically glued to her side. He couldn't wait to get started on this new chapter in their lives.

Nancy gently nudged him backwards. "We better go grab our luggage before someone mistakes it for theirs."

Frank grinned and shook his head. "Okay, fine. We can get me a new suitcase."

They had debated at length the pros and cons of having the standard black suitcase that Frank's had for years and the purple polka dot pattern on Nancy's. Frank argued that part of their jobs was to be as inconspicuous as possible, and that luggage that blended in aided in that. Nancy hated that it was impossible to know whose was whose without checking tags, taking up important time and space in the overall luggage claiming experience.

Nancy grinned back and headed over to the moving conveyor, a slow train of everyone's possessions. Immediately she plucked hers from the procession, throwing Frank a smug look as he glanced at the label on several nondescript bags. Finally he located his and pulled from the line.

"Ready to go find Dad?" Nancy asked, holding out her free hand to him.

The reality of his new situation slammed into Frank. It wasn't Carson Drew on the other side of those sliding glass doors. It was his girlfriend's father. That changed the rules in ways he wasn't even sure of yet. he looked down at the outstretched hand, then up at the face of the woman he was pretty sure he loved more than anything. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palm against hers.

"Definitely."

* * *

"So, did they get in okay?"

Joe finished downing the remainder of Coke in the can before answering his mother. "There may have been a small mishap with oxygen masks..."

"What?" Laura Hardy asked, wiping her hands and poking her head out from the kitchen in surprise. "What exactly do you mean by mishap?"

Reclining against the couch in his parents' living room, he turned to his mother and smirked. "They're fine. The pilot just set the plane down a little hard. They were heading into the terminal when we spoke."

"Joseph Hardy," she said sternly, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Are you staying for the night?"

Before Joe had a chance to answer, his father, Fenton, came out of his office and into the living room.

"Don't you have a home of your own?" he asked his son, swatting his shoulder.

"Actually I do. In fact, it's about time I head back over there. One of my neighbors keeps trying to sneak one of his crazy cats into my apartment and claim it's mine. If I find another chewed up magazine on my front step it is on."

"What's on? The magazine turns on?"

Joe stared up at his father. "What? No. Just... no. You need to watch TV or read a book written sometime after 1980."

Fenton slid a grin over to his wife as she turned back to the stove. "Whatever you say, son. I guess you'd better get to it."

Joe was still shaking his head at his ancient parents as he drove his car through Bayport to get to his apartment. He was driving along the main downtown road to the other side of town when he happened upon flashing lights across the street.

Most days he wouldn't have thought much of it, but the location of these particular law enforcement vehicles worried him enough to pull over and get out of his car.

His heart went into his throat as his suspicions were confirmed - the police were at the Flower Patch, the store Vanessa's aunt owned.

The glass window in the door had been shattered and door left wide open, swinging on its hinges.

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	2. Chapter 2

**I am blown away by all of the wonderful people who took the time to review - readers both familiar and new to me! You guys are all double-awesome, and I look forward to getting to know you better! I do my very best to respond to all reviews from people with accounts. I don't think there's a way to respond to the others, or I would do that too!**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several work-in-progress cross-stitches. **

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_The glass window in the door had been shattered and door left wide open, swinging on its hinges._

"Vanessa," he whispered to himself, unable to tear his eyes away from the splintered glass and wood. Dodging a couple of cars, he darted across the street until he was in front of the little store owned by her family.

Two men in uniform were examining the door, seemingly dusting for any fingerprints. Another was talking with a middle-aged woman sitting on the curb.

Joe's eyes swept the scene before finally falling on the only person he needed to see.

"Vanessa!" he called, slipping between officials even as they called at him to stay away from the crime scene.

A girl stood in front of another man who was listening to her speak. Even though she wore an over-sized cardigan sweater, she still tightly hugged herself. Joe was unsure if she was holding something in or trying to keep everything out.

At hearing the familiar voice calling her name, Vanessa's head shot up from staring down at the pavement. Tears streaked down her cheeks from reddened eyes.

Joe rushed over to her and without thinking twice enfolded her in his arms. Her entire body was tense and her arms still pressed against her stomach, even as he held her. He knew that the officer was probably staring at them, annoyed that his interrogation had been interrupted, but Joe didn't care. The only girl he could remember caring about in almost a decade was crying and he didn't know exactly why.

Finally he pulled her back and grasped her shoulders. Vanessa's eyes were watery and tired as she looked into his concerned face.

"What the hell happened?"

"Ahem. That's what I was trying to find out."

Joe felt Vanessa jump at the voice of the officer interrupting their moment. He had to push off his irritation to turn and face the older man.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to get in the way. It just looked like Vanessa could use a friend."

Vanessa sniffed, wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her sweater. "Thanks Joe, but I'm okay. Not hurt or anything." She held out her arms in an attempt at levity, but she couldn't muster the smile to pull it off.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to stay here with her. You won't even know I'm here." Joe said, crossing his arms and planting his feet.

The officer eyed him warily. "Joe, huh? You wouldn't happen to be Joe Hardy, would you?"

Joe was used to the local law enforcement knowing about him and his family, even if he didn't know all of the officers. He was never exactly sure what they'd heard or how they felt about private investigators, but he knew that if he blinked he'd be banned from the scene without a chance to help.

"As it turns out, I am. I'm happy to meet you," he added with a smile, offering his hand for a shake. "I'm not here on business, though, just as a friend."

The officer practically dead-fished him with his limp handshake, but he nodded and turned to Vanessa.

"So, miss, you were saying?"

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Right. I was working on a couple of flower arrangements in the back room -"

"At this time of night? It's almost eleven," the officer interrupted.

"Um, yeah. I do that sometimes when I'm having trouble sleeping. Focusing on the flowers and colors helps calm down my mind."

The officer gestured for her to get on with it, and it took all of Joe's willpower not to break that hand off.

Vanessa's gaze darted between the two men, obviously feeling the tension. She quickly started speaking again. "Anyway, I was working in the back room when I heard someone knocking on the door. I figured that no good could come from answering it so late at night, so I went back to my work. The back room can't be seen from the door, so whoever it was wouldn't know that I was around anyway."

"What did the knock sound like?"

Vanessa looked confused, but she answered as best as she could. "Um, like a fist hitting against the glass? I was too far away to hear it clearly."

"But it must have been loud enough for you to hear from back there."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I know I definitely heard knocking."

"So then what happened?"

Joe had oriented himself so that Vanessa could lean into him if she wanted, but so far all she did was brush her arm against his. Even so, he could still feel her take a deep breath.

"Nothing at first. I'm not sure how much time passed. I kind of get into a zone when I'm working on flowers."

"Just give me a ballpark. Are we talking minutes? Hours?"

"Definitely not longer than about half an hour, but longer than five minutes." The night was getting just cold enough that the light breeze stung against her wet cheeks. "Then there was a huge crashing sound. I can only describe it as the sound of an explosion but minus the actually exploding part. I came running out, worried that there had been some sort of car accident or something and saw a man reaching through the window to unlock the door."

She leaned, almost imperceptibly, against Joe's shoulder, and he momentarily wondered if it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"I knew I shouldn't, but I couldn't stop myself from screaming. By that time he had entered the store and rushed at me. I tried to run back into the workroom but I tripped. He pushed me at the same time, so I fell onto the floor." A hand absently rubbed her shoulder, and Joe wished he could be the one soothing her hurt.

"What did he do next?"

"I'm not sure. I was more worried about getting away from him. I think he ran to the counter, possibly heading for the register. But right about then was when my aunt came down, waving her cell phone."

"She threatened to call the police?"

"I think she already had. I'm not sure. He ran back out the door and we waited for you guys to come. That's pretty much it."

Without warning Vanessa slumped down onto the sidewalk, circling her knees with her arms. Joe didn't join her, not wanting to intrude on her moment of emotional purging, but he did lean down a hand to rest on her shoulder. He hoped that she knew he was there for her.

"I'm sorry miss, I know this is a lot to deal with. All I still need is a description of the man."

She didn't get up, but she did answer. "He was average height, average build. He was wearing a ski mask, so I have no idea about hair or skin color. His eyes though - dark. Dark eyes. I'm sure about that."

"Thank you for your time. Make sure you stay someplace safe tonight and get some sleep."

"Don't worry," Joe interjected. "I'll look after her."

"That's not necessary," Vanessa protested, but the officer had already walked away.

"Of course it is," Joe said, crouching down to look her in the face. "You're obviously - and understandably - shaken. Let me take care of you." He didn't think he'd ever in his life been more earnest than in that moment.

Vanessa opened her mouth to respond, and he was so sure she was going to acquiesce, but a female voice calling her name shattered the moment.

"Beth," Vanessa answered, standing up and throwing her arms around the older woman. "Are they done with you too?"

"Finally," Beth answered, rolling her eyes as she pulled away from her niece. "I think it's time we go upstairs, lock the apartment door and head to bed."

Vanessa nodded, pushing hair out of her face. "I could definitely go for some tea, at least."

Her aunt slung an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the door. "That can be arranged. I'm nothing without my multipack of Tazo."

"Oh, Joe," Vanessa said, turning around to face the boy left standing on the sidewalk. "I'm so sorry. It's just been a night, you know? Thank you so much for being here. Do you want some tea?"

He glanced between the two women, noting the similar face shape, the identical nose. He assumed that they shared a fiery personality, as well. Beth didn't look like a woman to be messed with, so Vanessa would be fine under her care.

"Oh, no thank you. I was on my way home from my parents' place and saw the lights. I just had to make sure you were okay."

Vanessa took a step closer, allowing her aunt's arm to drop. "Thank you, Joe," she said, meeting his eyes. He was relieved to find that they no longer leaked tears. Perhaps Beth had that effect on her. It solidified his decision to let her go for the night.

"Of course. I'm just glad I stopped," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He worried that without containing them they might reach out and touch her without his permission.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" She said, once again turning to head through the damaged doorway.

"Sure thing."

As Joe waited to head back across the street, the officer that interviewed Vanessa was wrapping up his notes and climbing into his squad car. He smirked at Joe and nodded in the direction of the store.

"Tough break, kid. But I'm sure if you're persistent she'll come around."

Joe clenched his jaw and ignored the man, putting his energy into jogging across the street to his car.

* * *

Frank glanced at his watch: 10:04 p.m. Central Time. He had changed his watch almost as soon as the plane had made it's rocky landing. He wondered if it would be rude to stretch out in the back of Carson Drew's luxury sedan and take a nap.

Nancy, for her part, happily chatted with her father from the front seat, all sick feelings from travel long gone.

Frank closed his eyes as he remembered seeing Carson for the first time in years. The man was class personified - salt-and-pepper gray hair, and even though he wore jeans, Frank couldn't help but wonder if they had been tailored for him.

Carson had looked him up and down, gaze lingering on where Frank's hand was entwined with his daughter's. Frank's body had frozen, tense with worry over how this man he respected so much would react to seeing him with Nancy.

Then, completely shocking him, the distinguished older gentleman wrapped his big arms around Frank, pulling him into a hug unlike any he could remember receiving from his own father.

"It's good to see you Frank," he'd said, pulling back and holding him at arm's length.

"Thank you, sir," Frank managed to say, pushing through his surprise.

"Be sure to say hello to your family for me the next time you talk to them."

"Definitely."

Frank finally got a chance to breathe when Carson turned to his daughter and embraced her in a similar fashion. It was perhaps a different exchange than he had anticipated, but he wasn't about to complain about it. Then, greetings over, Carson straightened himself, grabbed Nancy's bag and led them to his car. He had offered to chauffeur them, but Frank didn't want to make himself even more uncomfortable. He had suggested that Nancy ride up front with her father.

Zoning back into the present, Frank rested his head against the car window. Carson, a high-profile and well-respected lawyer, was telling Nancy about his latest case. Something involving prescription medications, or maybe a laboratory? Frank wasn't sure, and his tired brain couldn't focus.

"Wait, Phillip Pharmaceuticals?" Nancy said loudly, breaking Frank out of his haze.

Carson glanced warily at his daughter. "Caught that, did you?"

"Is he involved?" she asked, and Frank heard a hitch in her voice.

"It's too early to tell. I just took the case today."

"I should call him, find out what he knows," Nancy continued to herself, as if she hadn't even heard her father.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Nancy." Carson barely motioned back to Frank, a motion so small he was sure he imagined it. "I thought you had left that all behind."

"Yeah, I know, but if he's in trouble..."

"Then I'll take care of it. You guys are here on vacation, and you should enjoy it for once. No mysteries this time around."

Frank coughed to hide his laugh. The words Nancy's father just uttered was the best way he knew of to ensure that they'd all be embroiled in a case in no time.

Nancy turned around, startled to remember that Frank was still back there. He'd been so quiet. "I know what you're thinking, but he's right. We'll stay out of it."

He smiled at her indulgently, but he knew that even she couldn't keep that promise. "Of course."

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

"I think I remember," he said. "It's just another couple of blocks, right?" It had been more than five years since he'd even been to Chicago, let alone River Heights, so he felt a little impressed with himself.

In no time at all Carson pulled up the driveway and into the garage of a stately old house. They were in a neighborhood full of houses that all had the same historical atmosphere but each with their own distinct characteristics. Tall trees flanked each side of the house.

Once they were inside with all of the luggage, a round-faced, older woman met them in the hallway that leads to the kitchen.

"Nancy, darling! And Frank, too! It is so wonderful have you home."

Nancy dropped her bag and let herself be pulled into the grandmotherly woman's arms. "Hannah, what on earth are you doing up? It's the middle of the night."

"Like I could sleep knowing that you were coming in," Hannah said, waving her concerns away. "But I know you two must be completely exhausted, so let's get you upstairs and into bed."

Nancy rubbed Frank's arm. "This one's about sleeping on his feet."

Frank grinned back down at her, "I'm okay, but I definitely wouldn't say no to a place to lie down." The scar from where he was shot tingled below his shirt sleeve where she touched it, and he wasn't sure if it was because of her touch or the scar itself.

Hannah, ever observant, noticed where Nancy protectively touched the young man next to her. "I was truly sorry to hear about you getting hurt like that, Frank. I hope that it doesn't bother you much."

It did, sometimes, but he wasn't going to tell Hannah that when he had been trying so hard to keep it from Nancy. "Everything's healing up nicely, thanks."

Carson had been watching the reunion silently, occasionally checking his phone. He took the small break in conversation to kiss his daughter's forehead and bid them goodnight.

"I'll let Hannah take you guys upstairs. I'm heading to my own bed. But Nancy, I'm so glad you found some time to come visit your old man. We'll catch up more tomorrow." He threw a look at Frank on the last sentence, but before Frank could interpret it the older man disappeared deeper into the house.

"Shall we?" Hannah asked, grabbing Frank's bag before he had the chance.

He followed them up the stairs off the kitchen, letting the memories of the old house fill his mind. A house built at the turn of the century has it's own personality, he'd always thought. Decades of history had lived amongst these walls, creaked up the same wooden stairs that he was stepping on.

"Are you planning to stay in your old room, Nancy?" Hannah asked one they had reached the second floor.

"Um," Nancy said, glancing up at Frank.

"Mr. Hardy is welcome to stay in there with you, or he can take the guest room next door. Whatever you're more comfortable with." Hannah's face was smooth as glass, no judgement either way visible on her features.

"What about Mr. Drew?" Frank asked before Nancy had the chance. "I would never want to disrespect him in his own home."

"He told me that he was staying out of it and staying off of this floor. Truthfully, he never comes up here anyway. So, I'll leave you to it and head to my own bed. Goodnight."

Hannah's room was on the next floor up, so her steps echoed from above as she further ascended the stairs.

"So," Nancy began, but found she was unable to finish. This had never even been a question in the Hardys' home. Laura had pretty clearly defined the boundaries there. It wasn't that she expected her own father to say much about their relationship, but it was almost weirder that he had said nothing.

"It's your house," Frank said, trying to look as neutral as possible. "Where do you want me?"

This time Nancy didn't hesitate. "With me. Always with me."

She pulled Frank into an embrace, looping her arms around his trim waist and resting her head on his chest. He slid his own arms around her, holding her tight, reveling in the feel of her body against his.

"It's a good thing you always slept on a king-sized mattress," he said, and she laughed against him.

Pulling away, she pushed the door to her childhood room open. "Come on in."

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	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for being a couple of days late with this. I play in an orchestra that accompanies a choir that most of you have probably heard of but I won't mention to at least pretend to stay anonymous, and this past week/weekend was our giant Christmas extravaganza. I was away from my home and computer for several days and wasn't able to get this posted. Perhaps I'll put up an extra chapter this week to make up for it... :)**

**Candy Cane Cookies to the reviewers of chapter 2: catlover1033, Stork Hardy, JackieJacks, Caranath, Angelvie S, KennaC, Colie88, LazyPanther, SC15, thevulture, leyapearl, SnowPrincess88, Jabba1**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own many muscle aches from hours spent playing the violin onstage... :)**

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Parallel Secrets

Chapter 3

Joe was restless. The covers on his bed twisted around his legs, and when he pulled them off, he was too cold. He couldn't get Vanessa's tear-streaked face out of his mind. Every time he closed his eyes she was right there, staring away from him. The handful of times he did drop off into sleep he dreamed about what would have happened if her aunt hadn't come downstairs. Assault, or worse. Maybe the man had had a gun. Maybe he was the evilest of men and would have tried to do other things to her.

Flopping back against the mattress, he stared up at the plain white ceiling. Even without looking at it he knew the red lettering of his alarm clock read some time after three in the morning. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he wiped a hand down his face.

Logically, he knew she was fine. She was with Beth, whom he wouldn't dream of messing with. He hadn't felt this protective of anything other than family since... her. Since Iola. Reaching out to his nightstand he took the once-melted keys and held them, the warmth of his hand transferring to the cold metal until they felt hot against his skin.

Seeing the flashing lights on Vanessa's street had brought back more memories and feelings than he'd care to admit, even to himself. He'll never be able to completely forgive himself for what happened to Iola, and he'll never be able to forget the image of that car going up in flames. He'd moved on, but only superficially. Never had he allowed himself to care about another girl, knowing that he would only get her hurt or worse.

Even though he didn't cause the break in at the flower shop, he knew that no good would come from pursuing Vanessa.

"But I can't just leave her unprotected," he said into the still night. "I'll keep an eye on her, but from a distance."

Decision made, he got up and padded to the kitchen. He filled a glass of water and drained it, splashing some of it on his face. Having a plan made him more settled than he'd been in a long time, and he despised himself for turning into his brother. But if it helped him sleep... Making his way back to his bed, he collapsed onto the mattress and finally fell into a dreamless state of unconsciousness.

* * *

In River Heights, Frank was preparing himself to cross into the bedroom of the most beautiful girl he'd ever known.

"Come on in," she had said, making it seem so easy.

He'd seen her room before, of course, but it had never meant so much then. They were teenagers, and while the thought of seeing a girl's room back then had been tantalizing, there were always other people in the picture. Being in there with her, alone, had never even been the slimmest possibility. He felt like he was seventeen years old again, unsure and gawky.

Nancy grinned at him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside. "You think too much."

He looked around at the light green walls, the framed pictures of friends on every level surface. "Just as I remember it."

"Well, I haven't really lived here since around the time you last saw it, so I'm not surprised. Though it may be time to box some of this stuff up."

She sat down on the large bed, still covered in her old quilt, thinking that there was nothing like the moment of returning to her bed to feel like she's home. Kicking off her shoes, she stretched out and closed her eyes, the weight of travel crashing down on her once more.

Frank couldn't help but watch her, wishing his fingers could touch her face as it smoothed out in relaxation. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm heading to bathroom."

She smiled and opened her eyes. "Do you remember which door it is?"

It was a funny question, but not without merit. Even though Nancy's room had its own attached bathroom, it also had a walk-in closet and a door that led to a sunroom of sorts. The old house had been renovated to make its rooms more like suits.

"The one in the middle," he said with surety, moving his lips down to press against her nose, then her soft lips. He wanted to linger there, especially when she responded ever so gently, but he really did need the bathroom. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

"No worries there," she said, eyes closed again. "I don't think I'll be moving for days."

Frank grabbed his toiletries bag and headed into the bathroom. Most of the fixtures were some shade of blue, including the tile that made up the walls. He remembered that Hannah lovingly called it the "blue bathroom."

After brushing his teeth, he considered himself in the mirror. He felt a like a complete goober for doing it, but he couldn't help taking stock of his reflection. His dark hair was too long, having needed a trim for several weeks. Stubble ran the length of his jaw because he hadn't bothered to shave, giving him a look that to him felt sloppy. Rolling up his sleeve, he examined the new scar on his arm. It was pink and angry looking, but he knew that meant it was healing. The stitches had all dissolved by now, and he was glad he wouldn't have to get them taken out.

Sighing, he let himself think about the one thing he was avoiding. He didn't know what Nancy was or was not expecting when he walked back into that room. He knew what he wanted, but he didn't dare assume she felt the same way. When he kissed her she had seemed eager enough, and remembering that gave him confidence.

Straightening, he opened the bathroom door, ready to kiss her senseless and see where it went. He walked up to her and leaned down, touching her face and brushing aside her red hair.

"Nancy," he said quietly, unable to keep from smiling.

She didn't answer.

"Nancy?" he asked, smile turning into a frown. In response she breathed out a loud sigh and rolled over, tucking a hand beneath her head.

"I'm an idiot," he said to himself, chuckling at how dumb he had been acting in the bathroom. Of course she was asleep. The only reason he still had his eyes open were the hormones and uncertainty that up to a minute ago had been raging through his body.

With a final laugh, he gently pulled the quilt out from under his girlfriend and covered her up to her chin. Flicking off the light and setting his phone down on the nightstand, he climbed in next to her. He lied on his side facing her, watching the way the moonlight highlighted her face. He easily slipped into his own sleep, a smile on his face.

* * *

A phone ringing completely ripped Frank out of the pleasant dream he was having, jolting him awake. He was temporarily disoriented as he tried to remember where he was. Looking over, seeing red hair splayed across the pillow next to his, it all rushed back to him. The phone continued to ring incessantly, but he couldn't stop himself from taking a second to enjoy the moment of waking up to her face for only the second time in his life.

He didn't want the ringing to wake her, though, so he reached for his phone and answered. Glancing over at Nancy, he was grateful that she hadn't seemed to stir.

"Why did you take so long to answer?"

"Jeez, Joe. It's like, seven-thirty in the morning." Frank sat up more fully and tried to talk quietly.

"Really? Oh yeah, you're an hour behind."

"Yeah," Frank said slowly. "Besides, what are you doing up before ten? Dad have you on a case?"

"Well, not exactly..." Joe started, and Frank got the feeling that this was going to turn into a longer conversation. Getting up, he tried to remember which door led to the sun room. Guessing left, he pushed open the door and was greeted with sun streaming through big windows. He vaguely remembered that it wasn't original to the house, but had been built on top of the porch roof. Nancy mumbled something unintelligible, so he quickly slipped into the bright room and pulled the door shut behind him.

"What happened?"

"There may have been a little excitement last night involving Vanessa."

Frank sank onto a love seat trying not to think too hard about what his brother was telling him. "Did you seriously wake me up to tell me about your sex life?"

"What?" Joe said, sounding genuinely confused. "No, of course not. Her store was broken into."

Frank sighed, things suddenly making sense. "Oh. Is she okay?"

"Physically, yeah. The man pushed her down before her aunt got downstairs, but she's just a little shaken."

"Tell her I'm sorry and I hope they catch him."

"Well, that's thing thing..." Joe trailed off again.

Frank rested his head on his free hand. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Joe said quickly. "Yet, at least. But I can't just pretend like catching guys like that is not what I do for a living."

"Don't you think you're a little too close it to be effective?"

"Frank, if it was Nancy?" Joe asked quietly.

He didn't bother pointing out to his younger brother that Nancy was a trained operative who could take care of herself, because it didn't matter. He would still do everything in his power to protect her.

"I didn't realize you were that serious about Vanessa," he said instead.

"I'm not, I don't think. I don't know. You know me, I don't get serious about girls." Anymore, Frank added silently to his brother's words. "I just don't think I could forgive myself if she gets hurt because I didn't do enough to help."

"Yeah, I hear you, little brother. I'm sorry I'm not there to help."

"It's okay. It shouldn't be too hard - I mean, it was just one guy. I'll be handing him over to the police in no time."

"I don't doubt it. Call me if you need to debrief on anything."

"Will do." Joe paused, then continued. "How's Nancy?"

"Sleeping in the next room," Frank said, without realizing what that sounded like.

"Really? You're still keeping up the whole 'we're not actually together' charade?"

"Oh. No. I'm just meant that I'm in her sun room."

"Good. It's about time you were just honest with everyone. So does that mean..."

"It's hard for that to happen when she falls asleep within five minutes of reaching her bedroom."

"Ouch," Joe said, and Frank could hear the wince in his brother's voice.

Frank sighed. "It's fine, really. I'm definitely not going to push it."

"I get it. You're a stronger man than I am."

"For now," he muttered to himself. He didn't get a chance to fully answer before a hand on his shoulder had him practically jumping to his feet.

"Tell Joe hello for me," Nancy said, clad in a bathrobe over her clothes.

Frank coughed. "Um, Nancy says hi."

Joe laughed so hard that Frank had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Please tell me that she heard what we were just talking about."

"I have no idea, but I should probably get going. And you too, if you're planning to catch your bad guy," Frank said, glancing at Nancy's neutral expression. He grinned when he saw her face change with excitement at the mention of a bad guy.

"Call me later," Joe choked out, still laughing.

Frank hung up and stood to face his girlfriend. "Good morning."

"Morning," she answered, a smile blooming across her face.

"I trust you slept well," Frank said, unsuccessfully trying to push off a grin.

Nancy ran a hand through her messy hair and looked briefly bashful. "Yeah, sorry about that."

He set down his phone and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm glad you fell asleep as easily as you did. There's plenty of time for... other things."

"I know, I just didn't want you to think that I did it on purpose."

Frank laughed, shaking her head against his chest. "I think you're safe on that front."

Nancy reached up and held his face, rubbing her fingers against this dark hair on his face. Frank's eyes closed at the contact. "Mm, that actually feels really good."

"What, scratching your face?" Nancy said, moving down to his chin.

"Yeah. Hair gets so itchy. Especially when I'm lazy about shaving like I have been."

She stroked his cheek, enjoying the way he leaned into her tough. "I like it. It makes you look rugged."

He opened his eyes to see if she was joking, and even though a grin tugged at her lips, she seemed to mean it. "If you say so."

Sliding her hands to the back of his head, she pulled him down until her lips could reach his. She pressed a kiss onto his beautiful lips, loving that she could do that anytime she wanted, no guilt attached.

Just as Frank's hands began to move up her back from her waist, Nancy pulled away, pecking him a final time on the check.

"Hannah knocked to tell us that breakfast is ready. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

Frank exhaled heavily and rested his forehead on her shoulder for a brief moment. "Later. We are going to continue this later."

When he saw the look on Nancy face as she pulled away he knew he'd need a few moment to cool himself down before being a part of polite company.

"I'll meet you down there."

* * *

**You are wonderful for reading. You are triple wonderful if you review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Holidays! A couple days ago was the Winter Solstice, which is actually my favorite holiday of them all. Strange, huh? I may or may not be taking this next week off from posting, depending on how crazy things get. **

**The returning sun to the reviewers of chapter 3: KennaC, JackieJacks, bhar, Caranath, Stork Hardy, leyapearl, Lady Emily, Angelvie S, Lulu, Guest**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a candle from the Solstice celebration I attended. (I'm actually not much into the earthy, pagan stuff like it sounds (though I don't have a problem with it), I just really like the Winter Solstice. Living in the far north like I did for so many years will do that to a person.)**

* * *

Parallel Secrets

Chapter 4

Joe slowed down only barely on his way to his father's office when he turned down Main Street. Workmen were already replacing the door to the flower shop. This time, he noticed with satisfaction, there was no glass window in the door. Instead it was made of a thick, sturdy wood.

Vanessa stood on the sidewalk, watching the men work. An oversized sweatshirt dwarfed her body, and she seemed to be on the phone with somebody.

Briefly, he contemplated pulling over and checking on her, but he shook away the impulse. She had made it pretty clear the night before that she didn't need his comfort.

In no time at all - Bayport, after all, is only a small town - Joe arrived at the Hardy & Sons office. He'd always found it amusing that his father kept a separate office from the one at home, but perhaps he needed to separate his two lives as much as possible. Joe could certainly understand the struggle.

"Joe," Fenton said without looking up from a file. "Have a seat."

That was odd. He couldn't remember the last time his father had treated him so formally. "Yeah, Dad, what's up?"

Fenton closed the manilla folder and looked up at his son. The look on his face made Joe very nervous. "Something happened last night."

"Is Mom okay?" Joe asked immediately.

"Yes, yes, everyone's fine. But you may want to pay Vanessa a visit."

Relief poured over Joe. His family was fine. And Vanessa, he knew, was also okay. "I already know about that."

Now Fenton had the chance to look perplexed. "Oh? How?"

"I actually drove right by the crime scene last night. When I realized which store was involved, I pulled over to find out what was going on. How did you find out?"

"Joe," Fenton said. "I know everything."

Joe wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. It certainly felt like it sometimes.

"That," his father continued, "and it was on the radio this morning. What exactly happened?"

After filling his father in on everything he'd observed the night before, Joe sighed and slouched back against the chair. "I don't think Vanessa wants me involved, so I'm going to stay out of it."

Fenton raised an eyebrow.

"It's just," Joe continued, "I didn't get the feeling that cops were taking them seriously. I mean, they were asking all the right questions, but it was just a feeling I got. I thought things would improve around the station now that Con's in charge."

"It's a slow process, son. You know that. He's doing the best he can with a truly terrible situation. I have no doubt that this case will be taken care of under his watch."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll probably call her tomorrow and see if I can drop by."

Fenton smiled to himself. "Okay then, with that settled, I'm going to need you to comb through a handful of these files today. They were faxed over by an associate in the City who needs a new set of eyes on the information. We're looking for connections between some cases."

A day, or more, of sifting through dry facts and fuzzy memories did not sound like fun to Joe.

"Unless, of course, you'd rather see if Vanessa wants your help?"

Joe massaged his temples. He couldn't remember the last time he'd shown so much restraint when a girl was involved. He just knew that he couldn't risk scaring her off so soon. "No, this is... great."

"Wonderful," Fenton said, plopping down three stacks of papers in front of Joe. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Breakfast in the Drew household was very different from what Frank was used to. When he was at his apartment he occasionally remembered to grab some toast or a granola bar on the way to his father's office. At his parents house he often had some sort of french toast or eggs cooked by his mother.

Breakfast in River Heights eclipsed those experiences. A full spread was set before him on the table, including a fruit salad, toast, bacon, pancakes, and a breakfast casserole. Orange juice had even but poured into a glass pitcher. Whenever they had visited as children and then teenagers, he'd been so eager to eat that he hadn't even noticed the differences. Frank wasn't quite sure where to begin, while Carson and Nancy were already taking bites off of their full plates. Hannah was in the kitchen next door cleaning up.

"Eat up, Frank," Carson said, glancing up from his paper. "Unless you'd like something else? Hannah can whip up just about anything."

Quickly he picked up the tongs and grabbed a couple of pancakes. "No, that's okay. I was just taking it all in."

"She's a wizard in the kitchen, isn't she?" Nancy said around her coffee mug.

"Definitely," Frank said as he drizzled warm syrup across his plate. He took a couple of bites, savoring the rich, nutty flavor.

While he'd probably be bickering with Joe at his parents' house, conversation at the Drew table was sparse. Each person had their individual page of newspaper. Occasionally one would turn to the other and point out an interesting story. Nancy handed Frank his own page, but he found it more interesting to watch Nancy in her natural habitat. As a teen he'd been so careful not to watch her too much, so he reveled in the chance to do just that.

After taking another mouthful of pancake, he returned his gaze to Nancy, only to stop short at a small headline on the back of her newspaper.

"Hey, Phillip Pharmaceuticals," he said, immediately gaining the attention of both Drews. "Isn't that the company you were talking about last night?"

He pointed to the back of Nancy's paper and she quickly turned it over to see what he was talking about.

"Why yes, Frank, it was. I'm working a job involving them. Just hired yesterday, in fact."

"What's the case?"

Carson glanced over at this daughter before answering. "A bigger company called Lanson hired me to represent them against Phillip. Apparently, Phillip is suing them for copying their drug formula and releasing it first. Their proof, however, is shaky at best, unless they're willing to throw one of their chemists under the bus."

At her father's words, Frank could help but notice that Nancy looked wary. "They wouldn't do that, though. They're a small but well-respected company."

"Well, let's hope so, for the sake of the case. Hopefully this will all go down quickly and with a minimum of press and controversy."

"Agreed," Nancy said, setting down her paper and draining her mug. "The sooner everything can be business as usual, the better." She leaned over and placed a kiss on Frank's cheek. "Go ahead and finish up here, I'm heading for a shower. Then we'll go out and see the sights."

She smiled, though he knew her plenty well enough to see that it didn't entirely reach her eyes.

"Sounds like a plan," he said, returning her smile. "I'll see you up there."

Nancy and Frank were heading down the stairs hand in hand when the doorbell rang. Hannah sounded surprised, but not alarmed, so they took their time reaching the front foyer. When they got there Nancy stopped short, her hand falling from his. Frank glanced at her, confused, until he looked up and understood why.

Carson and Hannah were both standing in the doorway, facing the person standing on the front porch: Ned Nickerson.

"Nancy," he said after clearing his throat. "And, um. Frank."

Carson turned to them with a grim look on his face. "Remember how we were talking about Phillip being too honorable to throw one of their chemists under a bus?"

"Yes," Nancy said slowly, looking between him and Ned.

"We were wrong."

* * *

"I'm sorry to drop by unexpectedly like this," Ned said once they had all settled in the sitting room. He clasped his hands back forth.

Even though they had only eaten breakfast half an hour ago, Hannah was bustling around delivering glasses of water and other snacks. Her movements only made Nancy feel more anxious.

"I didn't even know you were back in town, Nancy," Ned continued. "Last I heard you were in DC, or somewhere else on the east coast. I wouldn't have come if..."

"It's fine, Ned," she interrupted. "I know it must be important."

"It is," he said with a sigh. "I'm pretty sure I'm getting fired, if not charged with some criminal activity."

"What did you do?" Frank asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Nancy swatted his arm, but Ned attempted a sad laugh. "I have no idea."

"Son, why don't you start at the beginning," Carson said, bringing the conversation back to business.

"I work for Phillip Pharmaceuticals. You'll remember that I was a chemical engineering major in college. A couple of years ago I was hired on by Phillip to develop and finalize new drug formulas. A couple of days ago I heard from a friend of mine in HR that the CEO was angry, really angry, and my name had come up. He didn't know why, and he's not connected enough to find out more, but he wanted me to have a heads up. It didn't take long to figure it out, though. Yesterday Lanson announced the release of a new drug for migraines. It's supposed to be the best thing on the market."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"The formula they're using is mine," Ned said, looking up straight into Nancy's face.

"How do you know? Aren't those things kept top secret?" Frank asked.

"Completely. Which is why there is no way that could have gotten ahold of mine. Phillip found out that it was the same as one we had in production because the CEO of Lanson wanted to rub it in his face that they had developed a better product. And by that time it was patented by them, so he knew we wouldn't have been able to duplicate it for profit."

"Not good," Nancy murmured to herself, though the others could hear her.

"No kidding," Ned agreed. "Mr. Warner called me in yesterday to let me know that I'm suspended from the office, and possibly out of a job, pending an investigation. He thinks that I sold the formula, and he's claiming that it isn't the first time."

"So now what?" Nancy asked.

"Well, I originally was just going to ask Mr. Drew for some legal advice, but now that I know you guys are here..." Ned trailed off, unwilling to ask his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend for such a monumental favor. "You know what, never mind. Can we talk alone, Mr. Drew?"

Carson looked pained. "Unfortunately, I can't speak with you. I probably shouldn't have even heard this much from you."

Nancy turned to her father. "Why not?"

"I don't know if you know this, Ned, but Phillip Pharm is suing Lanson. Like I said before, I'm the new legal counsel for Lanson Pharmaceuticals. I'm supposed to be defending them throughout this lawsuit."

"But Dad," Nancy said, "Surely the truth is more important."

"Always, my dear. But I have a responsibility to my client, or I'll never again be considered a reliable advocate. But believe me when I say that I'll do nothing to stand in your search for the truth."

Ned looked uncomfortable. "I can't ask this of you guys." He started to stand up. "So if there's another lawyer that you could recommend, I'll be on my way."

"Absolutely not," Nancy said, standing up to meet him. "I mean, fine, hire another lawyer, but you can't expect me to stay out of it."

"Nancy," Ned said quietly, eyes flicking briefly to Frank. "I'll be fine."

Frank understood that this would be a pivotal moment in his and Nancy's relationship. Would they be jealous of each other's exes? Would they help? Would they give each other the freedom to make decisions the other might not like? He'd be lying if he said he was thrilled to see Ned standing in front of Nancy, looking at her. He had too many painful, yearning memories that followed a similar theme. But he knew in his core that if he reacted badly to this situation that he would lose her just like Ned did. That was something he could never let happen if it was within his power to prevent it.

Frank stood and held out his hand for Ned to shake. "Don't be ridiculous. Having our help should never have even been a question."

Ned looked back and forth between two people with whom he shared so much history - much of it unpleasant. Finally, decision made, he clasped Frank's hand. "Thank you. You're a better man than I am."

Inside Frank's head, so quietly he tried to ignore it, a voice whispered: I know.

Just because he was doing this for Nancy - and he would be the best damn detective possible - he didn't have to be happy about it, and he didn't have to like the guy.

Carson Drew patted his daughter on the shoulder. "And with that, I'd better get working on this lawsuit. I'm terribly sorry how this is all playing out, Ned. I'll do my very best to play fair."

"I know, sir," Ned said. "Let's hope it all works out."

Carson slipped out of the sitting room in the direction of the garage while Nancy and the two guys stood semi-awkwardly.

"Well," Frank said, breaking the silence. "Let's get to work."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I still don't have a cover picture for this story. But see, I'm terrible at things like that. Are there any computer/art savvy readers that would want to make a fanfiction cover for me? Definitely doesn't have to be anything fancy. Let me know!**

**Sparkly gold stars to the reviewers of Chapter 4: JackieJacks, catlover1033, thevulture, Lady Emily, Stork Hardy, leyapearl, KennaC, Jabba1, SnowPrincess88, Caranath**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a variety of 500 piece puzzles. **

* * *

Parallel Secrets

Chapter 5

"Find anything?"

Joe looked up at his father, bleary-eyed. He'd never been one for the research aspect of the job like Frank, but the legal jargon in front of him was the worst.

"Not so far. Everything I've seen looks on the up and up."

"Well, keep looking. The client seems really anxious for this to be resolved quickly."

"Remind me who the client is again?" Joe asked, rubbing his temples. "Because we should be charging them double."

"It's a him, and we're actually doing this at a reduced rate," Fenton said, focusing in on a couple of sentences.

"What? How come?"

"Because he's part of a non-profit involving at-risk kids. I didn't feel right about asking for more than he could pay. Besides, we're still living off of the money from cheating husband cases, which we're bound to get a few more of soon."

"You're too noble for your own good," Joe grumbled, though he couldn't completely shake the feeling of admiration for his father.

"You know, it's almost noon. Why don't you head into downtown and pick us up some lunch?"

Joe looked at Fenton suspiciously. "Doesn't Mom always pack you a lunch?"

"Yeah, but today she only gave me a salad. I could go for something with a little grease for a change."

"Super Torta?" Joe was already grabbing his keys off the table.

"You know what I like."

Fenton smirked to himself as his son went out the door. It was no coincidence that Super Torta was a block away from The Flower Patch.

Joe hummed along with the radio as he looked for a parking space along the main road. The lunch crowd at Super Torta gets busy, so he regretted not phoning in the the order first. Super Torta started out as a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place known for their massive burritos. They seemed to have good business, but definitely not enough to expand. Then a couple of years ago a fire in the kitchen had almost burned the whole place down. The community unexpectedly came together and organized a fundraiser, and combined with insurance they were able to expand into the space next door and build up their business. It was now considered one of the best Mexican food places in that part of New York. Unfortunately, that also meant that the wait time for food had increased.

After waiting in line to place the usual order for his dad and himself, he went outside to take a walk. He knew it'd be at least fifteen minutes before the food was ready, anyway.

He pretended that the direction in which he chose to walk was a random one, but deep down he knew better. In less than a minute he stood in front of the The Flower Patch's new door. It was a thick, dark wood.

Without allowing himself to debate too much, he pulled open the door and stepped into the bright room. It's cheerfulness hadn't been diminished at all, even after the break-in of the night before. Flowers in vases lined the counter top, and even more rested in bigger bins, waiting to be arranged into something beautiful.

His heart sank when instead of a tall blond girl at the register he saw an older woman, hair graying at her temples.

"Hello!" she greeted him. "Please let me know if I can assist you in any way."

"Thanks," Joe said, trying to discreetly look around for Vanessa. "How are you guys doing after what happened?"

"Oh, we're fine. Just a bit of excitement, you know. Nothing to worry too much about."

"Did they catch the guy yet?"

Vanessa's aunt frowned at Joe. "Unfortunately, no. Now is there anything I can help you with?"

"I guess not." He headed for the door, before turning back. "Actually, can you tell me which flowers are Vanessa's favorite?"

Beth eyed him for a moment before briskly moving toward one of the wall display. She plucked a bouquet of daffodils and tulips. "These. It's her favorite kind to arrange, though she never keeps any for herself."

"I'll take them," Joe said, pulling out his wallet. After paying for them and writing out a quick note on the mini card, he handed them back to the woman. "Can you make sure these get to her?"

Beth seemed a little surprised, but took the flowers anyway. "You could just give them to her yourself. She's in the back room working on some orders. I'll go get her."

"No, that's okay," Joe said quickly. "I don't want to disturb her. Just let her know that I was here, if you don't mind."

"Sure thing, young man. Your name?"

Joe grinned. "She'll know."

* * *

Nancy had disappeared into the kitchen to grab some waters for everyone, leaving Frank and Ned alone in the same room.

"So, you and Nancy," Ned said, folding his hands together. "Are you guys here on a case, or... ?"

Frank cleared his throat. "No, no case. Well, at least until yours came up. Just here on vacation."

"So is the entire Hardy clan with you?"

"Nope, just Nancy and myself." Frank knew Ned was fishing, but he didn't know how to tell him what he wanted to know without instigating him. He was determined to keep things civil between them, for Nancy's sake if nothing else.

"Then I guess..."

"Yeah. We're together." Frank met his eyes, hoping to show confidence without looking like a jerk.

Ned held his his stare for a second before looking down at his hands. "Good for you, I guess. Can't say I didn't see it coming. You're a lucky guy."

Ned's comment about not being surprised rankled him a little. It made it seem like Frank had just been biding his time, which wasn't entirely true. He chose instead to only respond to Ned's last statement. "Believe me, I know."

Ned picked at a lint ball on his shirt while Frank looked down the hallway for Nancy. One of them tapped his foot.

"Look," Frank started, at the same time that Ned opened his mouth.

"You first," Ned said.

"I was just going to tell you that I didn't pursue her, and definitely not when you guys were together. Up until a few months ago I hadn't spoken to Nancy in years. I never tried to get you to break up."

"But you aren't exactly sad about it, either." Ned's tone was halfway to accusatory.

Frank didn't have a good response to that. It was the truth. Finally, he shrugged. "I love her. If she was happy with you, then I would have lived with it. But I'm not going to apologize for getting my chance with her."

"You know what? It's fine. I don't know why we're even talking about this. Nancy and I were over a long time ago. I've moved on, so I'm glad that she has too. Even if it is with you."

Frank ignored that dig as best as he could. Ned had had a hard couple of days, and he couldn't blame him for venting that frustration somewhere. He was just glad it wasn't at Nancy, and he would be careful to keep the fist that wouldn't unclench hidden by his side. "So does that mean you're seeing someone?"

Ned eyed him, seemingly unsure if he wanted to talk about this with a person who up until very recently had felt like his mortal enemy. "Kind of. There's this girl at work," he started, but Nancy interrupted, coming back into the room.

"What girl?"

"Ned was just filling me in on his love-life," Frank answered, shooting Nancy a look.

"Um, yeah," Ned said, looking more uncomfortable. "I've been sort of seeing one of the lab assistants. It's pretty new though, just a couple of dates."

"Good for you, Ned," Nancy said sincerely. "Hopefully we can use her help. Now let's start planning."

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be able to get inside?"

"I should be able to, I mean, technically I still work there," Ned responded from the back seat of the car.

The trio was borrowing Hannah's car for the day since she claimed she didn't need it. It had been an awkward ride into Chicago from River Heights. A handful of times they went over their bare-bones plan, but other than that the drive had been silent.

"Remind me what you're looking for again?" Frank asked, feeling anxious about the lack of a solid idea going into it. Nancy had made the argument that they'd better get on the road if they hoped to make to the pharmaceutical office in time to do any snooping, so they had gone along with her.

"There were only three people before a week ago that knew the exact formula, at least of this particular drug. Two lab techs and myself. I want to find out from them what they know." Ned ran a frustrated hand down his face.

"Couldn't we have just called them?"

"And besides," Nancy threw in, "what if they're the guilty ones?"

"They aren't guilty," Ned said, sure of himself. "You're just going to have to trust me on that one. Turn left here."

"I know how to get to the business district, Ned, but thanks," Nancy said.

"You've been gone for a while, that's all." Ned's voice was quiet enough that she wasn't sure if she'd actually heard him speak.

She took a few deep breaths. There was no reason for her to be getting heated with him.

After a few more turns they pulled up the office building that held Phillip Pharmaceuticals. The building itself was fairly nondescript - glass and concrete and multiple stories.

"It's a little strange to think that this place holds an entire laboratory," Frank mused, stretching once he was out of the car.

"Yeah, they keep that in the basement. There's actually a credit union on the top floor," Ned answered. "It's a secure building, so you guys won't be able to get in unless you have an appointment with someone."

"So we're just out here waiting for you?" Nancy asked, displeased with that part of the plan. "Or can't you take us along as guests?"

Ned considered that suggestion. "How about I try to get in first, and then if that works I'll sign you in as guests? You would probably be better at asking questions anyway."

"I suppose I'll have to live with that," Nancy conceded. "But call me if you get into any trouble."

"Nancy, I've worked here for years. I'll be fine."

Ned disappeared through one of the turnstile-type doors and Nancy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It took a lot of energy to be around an ex. It was also the first time she'd had a chance to speak privately with Frank since Ned appeared on her father's doorstep.

"So, Ned," he said, breaking the silence that was quickly turning awkward.

"Yeah. That was a bit of a surprise, huh?"

Frank knew he had to say his next few words very carefully. "Was it? I mean, it's not really any of my business if you've been in contact with him. I'm just wondering how much you talk to him these days."

Nancy's eyes flashed. "How much do you talk to Callie?" Frank frowned a little in confusion and Nancy looked down at her shoes, immediately repentant. "I'm sorry, that was really inappropriate. Like you said, it's not really my business."

Frank shrugged, unruffled. "I know, but I'll tell you anyway. I spoke to Callie once in the last year. She needed the phone number for a mutual acquaintance. We ended up catching up for about ten minutes and that was it. She seemed happy with her life, for which I was grateful."

"Yeah, well I haven't talked to Ned since he walked out of our shared apartment more than two years ago," Nancy said, folding her arms and leaning against the car. She hated feeling annoyed with Frank, but did he have to handle everything so perfectly? She felt like an emotional wreck in comparison.

"You sound... not okay with that," Frank said, starting to seem a little anxious.

It was tempting for only a second to see if Frank would actually act jealous. She couldn't do that to him, especially after how understanding he'd been about everything.

"It's not that." Nancy sighed. "It was just a really messy break up, and seeing him again so out of the blue has conjured up some of those hurt feelings. It doesn't feel good."

He nodded and relaxed. "I can imagine. So why did you agree to help him?"

Nancy looked up at Frank helplessly. "How could I say no? What would you have done?"

"Probably the same as you," Frank admitted.

"I'm sorry that I've thrown the two of you together like this," she said, turning to face him.

Frank tucked some of her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger briefly on her skin. "It'll be fine. We talked it out this morning."

"Really?" Nancy asked with a raised brow.

"Well, kind of. Enough to know that we shouldn't have to get into any fistfights or anything while we're here."

"That's a relief," she laughed.

Frank dropped his hand when he saw Ned burst back out the front doors. His anger was palpable, even from a distance.

* * *

**Thanks for being awesome and reading! Betcha know how you could be double-awesome... :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Winter break over... back to the grind! Although, our district started last Thursday... :( Here's a long one to cheer you up!**

**Double awesome reviewers: Lady Emily, hlahabibty, Caranath, JackieJacks, Stork Hardy, Colie88, leyapearl**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own dozens of feet of PVC pipe to make didgeridoos :) **

* * *

_Ned burst back out the front doors. His anger was palpable, even from a distance._

"What happened?" Nancy asked.

"I've been blacklisted, basically." Ned answered, reaching the car. His cheeks were flushed. "When the security officer ran my badge the system beeped like crazy. Then he shuffled me into a side room while he waited for backup."

"Sounds dramatic."

"It was. Too much, actually. Then the head of security came in to inform me that I was no longer legally allowed on the premises and that the next time they see me they'll have me arrested on the spot."

"That's definitely not good," Frank said, already thinking ahead to the ways that that would make their job of clearing him that much more difficult.

"No kidding. I'm not sure where we go from here, to be honest,"

"We'll think of something, Ned. Don't worry." Nancy answered, hating the defeated look on her former love's face. They may have broken up years ago, but that was only fraction of time compared to how long they'd been together. She couldn't stop caring about him that easily. "This was only one option of many for getting some information. If nothing else I can get my dad involved."

"I really hope it doesn't come to that," Ned said glumly.

"Ned!" a new voice called, and his head whipped up. A pretty brunette in dark-framed glasses was coming towards them. She stopped in front of the trio, visibly confused as to who the other two were.

Ned turned to the others. "Nancy, and um, Frank, this is Karie. She's one of the lab assistants."

"Pleased to meet you," she said, timidly offering her hand for them to shake before turning back to Ned. When she spoke her voice was soft. "What's happened these last few days? I go out of town on a short vacation and when I get back you've been locked out and the company is in chaos."

Nancy didn't know exactly where the source of her annoyed feelings was. She only knew that she had them. The woman standing in front of them was put together in ways she never would be, contradicting her quiet voice. Stilettos heels brought her height up to meet Ned's and a pencil skirt highlighted her slim legs. But Nancy was usually a confident enough person to appreciate another's beauty without feeling badly about her own. She didn't want to believe that she felt negatively because Ned was involved. She didn't want to care about his relationships - she had her own with Frank.

Nancy checked back in just in time to hear Ned say, "These friends of mine are going to help me figure out what's going on and hopefully save my job. They're completely trustworthy if you ever think of anything."

"Absolutely," Karie said. "Whatever I can do to help. It's just not the same down in the hole without you."

"Do you know who could have had access to the formula?" Frank interjected while he had the opening.

Karie was already shaking her head before he finished. "No, other than Ned and the techs, no one person is given that information. It's too top-secret."

"And you don't think they could be responsible?"

"Charlie and Jenna? No way," she said with a small laugh. "Those two are as reliable as my Honda. Not to mention that they'd never have the guts to share that kind of information. They probably wouldn't even know who to call."

"There is one thing you could do to help," Ned said, looking uneasy.

"What's that, hun?" Karie asked, turning to face him.

Ned colored at the use of the pet name in front of his not-quite-friends. "I need to get back into the lab."

"Oh, I don't know if I can help you with that. I mean, I was so lucky to get this job six months ago that I can't do anything to jeopardize that."

"Yeah, okay. I suppose they'd know me by face anyway, even if you signed me in as a visitor."

"Look, I've got to get back in there, but I know everything will work out." She turned to Nancy and Frank, "And it was lovely to meet you. Thank you so much for helping Ned out. Isn't he just the best?"

Nancy made a noncommittal noise while Frank nodded awkwardly. At least Karie wasn't really looking for an answer anyway, since she was already hugging Ned goodbye and then striding towards the glass doors.

"I guess that makes today a bust," Ned said dejectedly. He was still slightly pink from their run in with his almost-girlfriend. "I should probably see about getting a meeting with one of those lawyers your dad recommended."

"That's probably a good idea," Frank agreed, "though I wouldn't give up all hope yet."

"You know," Nancy said, "I think this worked out better than we thought." She wasn't going to say out loud that she was actually a bit relieved that Karie had been reluctant to be the one to help them.

"How's that?"

A plan was already brewing in her head. "Do you think you could get us a meeting with that friend of yours in HR?"

"Probably," Ned shrugged. "Why?"

"Don't worry about that part yet. But he's going to be signing us in as guests."

"I told you, I'll never get past the security officer."

"Not you," Nancy said, climbing into the driver's seat. "Frank and me."

* * *

Joe hated being patient. It was most definitely not in his nature. If he could have had his way, he and Vanessa would be at a romantic dinner right about then. Instead he was picking at his father's leftover salad from lunch as he finished combing through some more paperwork. Fenton had long since gone home, leaving Joe to lock up.

"Um, hello?"

The quiet voice startled him out of his focus. Spinning around in his chair, he would not have been more surprised to see the Pope standing there. As it was, Vanessa stood with her hands in her jeans' pockets, looking expectantly at Joe.

"Vanessa, hi," Joe said, rising quickly from his seat. "I definitely didn't expect to see you here, of all places."

"Yeah, I know." She looked down at her feet before meeting gazing around the office. "How's business?"

"Oh, about the same. We'll have a dry spell for a while and then a rush all at once."

"So where's the cycle at now?"

Joe smiled. "Somewhere in the middle. We have one big one we're working on and a handful of little ones to fill out the roster. But I'm sure you're not here to talk about Hardy & Sons. What's up?"

"You remember the break in? Dumb question, you were there." She pulled out a piece of paper before shoving it back into her pocket.

"Here, why don't you have a seat," Joe said, offering her the one he had been sitting in and pulling out his father's for himself.

"Thanks." She settled into the desk chair. "Oh, and I got your flowers, Casanova."

Joe was delighted to see that a smile accompanied her words. Not to mention the appearance of her not-quite-pet name for him.

"Your aunt said that they were your favorite, and I figured you could use some cheering up."

"Well, thanks again. You're sweet."

Joe thought he heard her add something like "I wasn't expecting that" to the end of the sentence, but he told himself he was imagining it.

"Anyway," she continued, "I'm here because something else happened today."

"Are you okay?" Joe asked, alarmed.

"Relax, I'm fine. And while we're on that, I'm still a little mortified that you witnessed my meltdown yesterday. I'm really not usually like that."

"I believe you, but don't worry about it," Joe said, waving his hand. "I'm just glad I could be there for you. So what happened today?"

"This was slipped into one of the bouquets that I was working on last night." She fished in her pocket once again for the piece of paper.

Joe took it and almost scoffed when he saw what was on it. Letters were cut out from a magazine and taped down to spell, "give me what i want."

"Wow. I feel like I'm back in kindergarten and we're working on collages."

Vanessa laughed, and Joe saw some of the tension leave her. "I know, right? _I _feel like I'm in a bad mystery movie."

"Welcome to my life," Joe quipped. "Do you think it was the same guy?"

"I have no idea, but it does seem a little coincidental if it wasn't."

"What did Beth say?"

Vanessa squirmed. "I didn't exactly tell her yet."

Joe looked up from the paper in surprise. "Why not?"

"She's kind of the mother bear type, you know? I didn't want her to worry about me more than she already has been."

"Okay." Joe took a breath before continuing. "So what do you want from me?" He looked her in her eyes, hoping she'd catch the double meaning. He so desperately wanted to ask her out again, but he couldn't bear it if she turned him down again. He knew he was always supposed to be the smooth, confident Hardy, but this girl was making him rethink all kinds of things about himself.

His hand rubbed at the chunk metal in his pocket without him being fully aware of it.

Vanessa held his gaze for a beat before breaking away. "I think that I would like you to look into this. With me."

"Yeah?" Joe asked, willing to take what she was giving him. For now, at least.

"Yes. I love my aunt and I don't want her business to suffer because of some criminal."

"I can definitely assist with that. Do you want to get started now?" He asked hopefully. "We can grab dinner and bring it back if you want."

"I'm sorry, but I've got to get back. Beth's keeping a close eye on me these days and I don't want to upset her. But tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. I'll be here."

"Thanks, Joe," Vanessa said, standing up.

"Of course. Here," he said, moving quickly before she could get away. "Let me walk you out."

He was really careful to make sure that he held the door for her and saw her all the way into her car. Before closing the door, he leaned down until his face was only a foot away from hers. He thought she might be holding her breath.

Keeping his gaze steady, he said, "Thank you for letting me help you with this."

Then he shut her door and watched her drive away. Leaning back against the brick wall of his building, he let out a big sigh. Finally, he had a way in.

* * *

By the time Frank and Nancy returned from their jaunt with Ned in the city, it was practically dinner time. Then Hannah had insisted that Ned stay for dinner. It was awkward for them all to be sitting around the Drew's table in their fancy, rarely used dining room, but Nancy didn't really see how she could have denied Ned's invitation. Luckily, he left quickly after clearing his plate, stating a need to look into the lawyers that Carson had mentioned.

Finally, Frank ascended the front staircase up to the second floor. These stairs, unlike the service stairs off the kitchen, featured a majestic banister, creating a entryway straight out of an old movie.

He had just plopped down on the bed when Nancy appeared in the doorway.

"I am an idiot," she declared.

Frank propped himself up on his elbows and frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Bess and George."

His eyes widened. "Oh. Whoops."

"Yeah," she said, sitting down next to him. "They are going to be so mad I didn't call the second we arrived. I just had so many other things on my mind."

"Like what?"

Nancy leaned back and rolled onto her stomach. "Well, there may have been this guy..."

"Oh?" Frank said, a smile growing across his face. He couldn't stop his gaze from travelling down to her lips.

"Yes. You see, he came all the way to River Heights just to hang out with my family and me, so I've been a little preoccupied."

"I hope he's treating you right," he said with a grin.

"Oh, I guess. I could definitely go for a little more, well, attention sometimes."

Frank rolled until he was lying on his side. "Well maybe this awesome guy is just feeling a little bit weird with having your father around. Not to mention the appearance of an exboyfriend..."

"Well, then he should know that Dad is practically a whole house away, and that I couldn't be more thrilled to have him here. As far as the ex goes, well, he's been out of the picture for plenty long enough."

"Yes, that would be good for him to know," Frank said, leaning closer to her. "It just might give him the extra boost he needs. I mean, you have been dating for awhile, right?"

Nancy rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "We have. He even insisted on taking me out on dates before getting intimate again, but I feel like we've met that goal. He's been a perfect gentleman, and I'm ready for more."

Frank couldn't keep up the charade anymore. Reaching up, he slid his hand against the back of her neck and pulled her head down to his. He almost sighed when her lips touched his, content to finally feel complete again.

Nancy, who had been propped up on her arms, felt her muscles turning to jelly. She slid down until she was resting on top of his chest, feeling the soft cotton of his T-shirt beneath her fingers.

Frank's warm mouth pushed against hers, slowly exploring her, making sure that she knew every touch of his lips. Then his arms slid around her, stroking down her back until he rolled them so he was now the one pressing her into the mattress.

Moving his fingers down her arms until their hands clasped, he pulled hers up and held them next to her head. His grip was loose enough that she could break free if she wanted to, but she definitely did not.

Just when things were picking up and mouths were opening, a jangling noise sounded from Nancy's pocket.

"Mm, leave it," Frank murmured, moving his lips across her jaw until they reached that spot behind her ear.

"But that's Bess's ringtone," Nancy squeaked out. "And she's already going to be mad at me."

"Then one more day won't make a difference," he said, moving down her neck.

Nancy was just about to agree with him when the ringing started up again. Frank sighed and buried his face in her neck before rolling off of her and onto his back. Sitting up, she quickly pulled the small phone from her back pocket and answered the call.

"What?" She was perhaps not as nice as she could have been.

"Um, hello? Nancy?" Bess said.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm here. What's up?" Nancy was trying to focus on her best friend, but Frank had taken to slipping his hands under her shirt in the back. Warm fingers stroked against her tight muscles.

"What's up? Did you seriously just ask me that? Have you, or have you not, been in River Heights for a full day already?"

"Well, technically," Nancy hedged, but Bess cut her off.

"That's what I thought. I can't believe you didn't call me!"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, Bess. There's just this thing with Ned, and -"

"You have got to be kidding me. Ned?" Bess didn't even try to hide the shock in her voice.

"No, nothing like that. He's in some kind of trouble so Frank and I are helping him. But you're right, I should have called."

"That's more like it. How is lover boy?"

Nancy stifled an out-of-character giggle as Frank accidentally hit a ticklish spot. "Um, he's good, Bess."

"He's right there, isn't he?"

Nancy didn't get a chance to answer right away since Frank had decided that that was the moment to pull her shirt over her head, causing her to accidentally drop the phone.

"Bess? Sorry. Yeah, he's here."

"Say no more," Bess said, and Nancy could practically hear her friend's eyes roll. "But make no mistake, Nancy Drew, we are getting together tomorrow. You will call me in the morning."

"Whatever you say, Bess," Nancy said in between pulling off Frank's shirt and pressing her free hand against his warm chest.

"Use protection!" she heard her friend exclaim as she ended the call, barely managing to get the phone on top of the nightstand.

As soon as the phone was out of her hand Frank went back kissing her, and this time there was nothing slow about it. He traced his fingers down the scars on her arms, followed by his lips. He hated that she had endured such torture, so he did everything he could to make her know that he loved her because of the scars, not in spite of them.

Nancy was having similar thoughts, finding the near identical bullet wound scars next to each other on his left arm. One was a faded white, the other still the light pink of healing skin.

By the time his lips reached her hands she grabbed his face and pulled him back up to hers, not wanting to go another second without kissing him. Her tongue slid inside his mouth, and the instant they touched her entire body broke out in goosebumps.

Frank moved himself back on top of her, and she wrapped herself around him, loving the feeling of their bare skin touching. His back was broad and strong, though he was careful to keep from completely crushing her.

Nancy let herself sink - into the mattress, into his arms, and into bliss.

* * *

**Love them... and you!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I won't get into all the reasons this is a week a late. Suffice it to say that certain aspects of my life imploded a little bit. Anyway... Continuing on. There have been a couple of self-described lurkers finally come out and say hello in the reviews - I'd love to get to know more of you!**

**A warm blanket straight from the dryer to the reviewers: leyapearl, JackieJacks, guest, heawee, Caranath, Stork Hardy, max2013, Jabba1, SnowPrincess88**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own enough fabric scraps to start a new quilt.**

* * *

"Nancy... Nancy Drew..."

Nancy cracked an eye open to see Frank's face looming large in her vision. He looked scruffy and rumpled and she thought he'd never looked so attractive.

Pushing herself to open her other eye, she stretched her arms out against the mattress. "What time is it?"

Frank smiled and moved her messy hair away from her face. "Late. Hannah knocked about an hour ago about breakfast, but I guess she went away when no one answered."

"How long have you been awake?"

He'd had a hard time sleeping in. Partially because he'd been an early riser his entire life, and partially because he was still on New York time. "Not that long. Only a little over an hour."

"An hour? You should have woken me up!" Nancy said, sitting up and pulling the covers with her. It was then that she remembered that she was still naked underneath the heavy quilt and presumably Frank was too.

He shrugged. "I didn't mind just spending the time with you, even if you were sleeping."

Nancy laughed and shook her head. "I don't know if that's cute or creepy."

"Besides," Frank added, "I had a book. So it's not like I was just staring at you the whole time."

Nancy laughed again, but instead of answering she leaned down to press her lips to his. Before he could deepen the kiss she pulled away. Frank made a sound of disagreement, so she lightly kissed him once more before sitting back.

"You're not being distant because of last night, are you?" Frank asked in jest, though he couldn't completely keep the hint of worry out of his voice.

"Absolutely not. I can't tell you how glad I am that that finally happened," Nancy answered, unable to keep from smiling. She was barely able to stop herself from kissing him again, knowing what she would find under the blanket that covered his body. "But like you said, it's late."

"Ned," Frank said, a note of resignation in his voice.

Nancy kissed the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. The sooner we figure out what's going on with him the sooner we can enjoy our vacation. And believe me," she said, moving her lips over until they lined up with his, "I want to be enjoying my time with you."

Frank slid his hand to the back of her head to keep her from pulling away this time, taking control of the kiss. He knew that if he kept at it that she'd cave, but he also could feel a part of her not in the moment with him. He pulled back after pressing a final kiss to her nose.

"Then let's get going. I'm all about enjoying our vacation."

By the time that Nancy and Frank made it downstairs the entire bottom floor was vacant. Carson had long since gone to work and Hannah left a note saying that she'd had errands to run. She apologized for not leaving them her car.

"Well, that'll make things a little more complicated," Frank said as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Only a little. I can always call Ned to have him pick us up to meet his friend."

"Yeah, I guess that works." Frank was mostly successful in sounded breezy about the entire situation. He knew that Nancy was with him, but he didn't think he'd ever be entirely comfortable with Ned.

"Oh, or Bess," Nancy said, now seemingly talking to herself. "Although I don't know how well it would go over with her to call her to ask for a favor when I never called her yesterday. She'd probably not like that very much."

"Probably not," Frank agreed, after swallowing a spoonful of his Cheerios. "But you should at least call her. Preferably when we're not engaged in some... other kind of activity."

"Hey," Nancy said pointing her spoon at him, "that was your fault. You could have stopped while I was on the phone."

"No," Frank said, shaking his head, "I really couldn't have. Nor did I want to."

Nancy felt her face redden at his insistence. "I'll go call her while you finish up."

Slipping out of the kitchen she headed for the front of the house. She'd had the habit when she was a teenager of pacing up and down the grand staircase when she was on the phone and apparently it was coming back to her.

"Nancy!" Bess answered. "To be honest, I didn't think you'd remember to call."

"Well, Frank helped," Nancy said sheepishly.

"I'm sure he did," Bess said suggestively. "And speaking of Frank, is he still as hot as I remember?"

"Bess!" Nancy said before laughing. "Um, yes. Probably more so."

"Ugh, it's not fair. You always end up with beautiful men. Tell me everything - I have to live vicariously through you."

"There's not much to tell," Nancy hedged. "We finally, um, hooked up again."

"First time since Europe, right?"

"Yes, and it was just as amazing as I remembered." She leaned back against the banister and let the previous night come back to her.

"Care to go into any more detail?" Bess said hopefully. "I've had a bit of a dry spell and that man of yours is smokin'."

Nancy couldn't help but laugh. "Probably not right now. He's just in the other room."

"Fine. But I will get more information out of you soon. And speaking of soon, when do George and I get to see you?"

"Today. Definitely today. Frank and I are supposed to meet up with Ned within an hour or so and I'm not sure exactly when we'll be done, but can I call you? Do you have plans?"

"For you, Nancy Drew, I can be available any time. Do you want back up on this whole experience?"

"You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll let you know after we work out a plan."

"Sure thing. You know you only have to call. And bring that beautiful man with you. But I'm guess he's probably going to be attached to your hip anyway."

Nancy laughed and started pacing again. "Maybe. But we'll definitely get some girl time, I promise. I've got to go, but I'll call you, okay?"

"You better. And not when you're in the middle of... the deed. That was squicky."

"You called me."

"Whatever," Bess said before hanging up.

Nancy completed her last set of stair-pacing and headed back into the kitchen where Frank was washing out his bowl and putting it in the dishwasher.

"So when are you going to get together?" he asked, looking up when she came in.

"Hopefully later today, depending on how things go with Ned." She leaned back against the table and pushed her phone into her pocket.

"Speaking of Ned, I gave him a call and asked him to get us. He'll be here within twenty minutes."

Nancy raised her eyebrows. "You called Ned?"

"I still had his number," Frank shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. As far as this case is concerned, we're colleagues."

She didn't exactly buy that, but she was grateful that he was making the effort. "If you say so. I guess we'd better get ready to go. Did he say where we're meeting his friend?"

"I think we're going to have to catch him on his lunch break, so probably somewhere near that office building."

Just as Nancy was about to say that that made sense, the doorbell rang. "He got here fast. Let's get this mystery solved."

* * *

Joe practically strutted into the Hardy & Sons office the next morning.

"What's got you looking like a peacock?" Fenton asked, barely looking up from the file he was pouring over.

"We had a late visitor last night," Joe said, plopping into the chair across from his father's desk.

"Should I be worried?" Fenton deadpanned.

"Not in the slightest. Guess who it was. Just guess."

"Vanessa," Fenton said, not even waiting for Joe to finish speaking.

"Well aren't you just Mr. Take-the-fun-out-of-everything this morning."

Fenton looked up at his son with a smirk. "You know, you'd make a terrible criminal. You're way too easy to predict."

"Thank you my kind, supportive father. I'm so grateful for your respect and love."

"Fine, Joe, fill me in. What did she want?"

"She found a magazine cut-out letter in one of the bouquets she was working on. She wants me to look into it."

"Need any help?"

"No, I think I've got this one, but thanks."

Fenton slid over a file. "I'm all about you wooing this girl with your investigative skills, but we've got to find a connection between these cases first. At least something that I can take back to the client."

Joe groaned but took the thick file. "I was at it until seven o'clock last night, Dad. I don't think it's going to happen."

"It is, son, I can feel it. There is something that we're missing. I know there are hundreds of pages to go through, so we may have passed right over something important without even realizing it."

"If you say so, Dad. I guess we don't really have much choice. This case is too big to renege on."

"You can say that again. Here, take one more file."

Joe sighed but nodded. "But if it's after noon and I'm still sitting at my desk, I will take a break to go get some lunch downtown."

"Some 'lunch', huh?" Fenton asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Shut it, Dad."

* * *

"What's your friend's name again?"

Frank felt a little awkward in the backseat of Ned's car while Nancy rode shotgun. It brought back way too many memories from when they were teenagers. But, it was probably better that than him sitting next to Ned.

"Steve Peterson," Ned answered as he exited off the highway. "He's the guy in HR that I mentioned, and he's always been a good friend. We have a standing poker game with a couple of other guys every week."

"You feel he's trustworthy?" Nancy asked.

"I'd trust the guy with my life."

"That's good, because you might have to. Not necessarily your life, but probably at least your livelihood. If we can't get in there than we don't have much hope of helping you," Frank said, trying not to get Ned's hopes up.

"And anyway," Nancy added, "What did your lawyer say?"

Ned sighed and made a left turn. "Nothing good. He said that a suspension during an investigation is completely warranted and legal. He also said that if they find evidence that I've done what they think I have that they are well within their rights to fire me without any compensation."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Frank said grimly. "Let's just hope that they do a fair investigation."

"I wouldn't count on it," Ned said. "They need a scapegoat, and they need it fast. I'm the easiest target."

"Well, then we'll just have to work faster," Nancy said confidently. "This will work out, I know it."

Ned smiled weakly as he found a parking space a block away from his office building. "I wish I had your confidence, Nan. That's always been something I've envied about you."

Nancy's answering smile was too bright - almost forced. "Well, hopefully some of it will rub off on you. Let's go meet Steve and figure this out."

Steve was a short, stocky man in his late twenties. His light hair was thinning on top, but he kept it short so it wasn't obvious. They all sat around a table in a Lebanese place a couple of blocks away from the office. Apparently most of the employees ate lunch at places in the other direction so it was relatively safe for them to be seen together.

"Like I was telling Ned," Steve said, "I'm so bummed that this is happening. There's no one kinder or better at his job than Ned Nickerson."

Nancy smiled. "Which is exactly why we're trying to help. We need to get into his lab and on his computer so we can figure out if there's actual evidence against him."

"I'm not sure exactly what I can do help. Ned's probably told you that the building we work in is very secure," Steve said uneasily.

"Yeah," Ned countered, "but you're one of the people responsible for giving visitors tours."

"They'd recognize you," Steve said, starting to get annoyed. "I love you, man, but I can't risk my job by making it seem like I'm working with you."

"But they wouldn't recognize us," Frank interjected before the conversation could escalate. "Nancy will play the part of an interested investor and I'll be part of her entourage."

"Both of you?" he asked. "Is that necessary?"

"Actually, yes," Nancy said. "Frank's the computer genius, and I'll be needed to distract any other people."

Steve had begun to visibly sweat. "I don't know, guys. I mean, I want Ned to keep his job as much as the next guy, but this sounds really risky."

"It might be," Frank said honestly. "But could you really live with yourself knowing that Ned got fired and you could have helped?"

Steve wiped his damp forehead and sighed. "No, I guess not. All right, what do you need from me?"

"All we need you to do is take us on a tour. When we get down to the lab Nancy will start asking a lot of questions, both to you and to the lab techs. While she's doing that I'll access his computer and see what I can find."

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but I'll know it when I see it - an outgoing email, a suspicious login time, things like that. I may just plant a way for me to access the computer remotely if I don't find anything fast enough."

"Sounds...risky."

"It's not, really," Nancy said, trying to reassure the skittish man. "Frank's kind of an expert on these things."

"If you say so," he said, though he didn't really look reassured.

"When can we do this? Today?" Ned asked, eager to clear his name.

"All tours need to be on the books. I can't get that done quickly enough to get you in today. Tomorrow, though, for sure," Steve said, downing the rest of his drink.

Ned sighed, trying not to feel let down. "Okay, thanks man. I'll drop them off tomorrow morning."

"What name should I put on the books?"

Frank and Nancy looked at each other. Matching smiles grew across their faces, though Nancy was the one that finally answered: "Cole and Rebecca Addison."

* * *

**You are wonderful for reading and sticking with this story!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A long Joe-centric chapter. It just worked out that way.**

**I've been terrible about responding to reviews. I'm sorry, and I am committing to do better. I care so much about any opinions or comments that you choose to share, so please don't take my silence to mean otherwise. **

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* * *

Joe had to triple check between four different stacks of paper before he was willing to share his findings with his father. It was almost too good to be true to finally have found something, anything, to connect three potential scandals by the same company. Whoever was in charge had been so incredibly careful that it had been impossible to see any wrong doing. Almost impossible, he corrected himself. He was as sure as he could be that he had finally discovered a chink in their armor.

"Hey, Dad?" he started, trying to keep any excitement out of his voice.

"Yes, Joe, you can go get a late lunch," Fenton said without looking up from his own stacks of paper.

"What? No, not that. Do know who owned the properties before the company bought them?"

"According to the records they were vacant buildings before a property management company took them on and renovated them for resale."

"I don't think that's what really happened," Joe said slowly.

This got Fenton's attention. "What did you find?"

"I'm not completely sure yet. It's only one page in each of these stacks, but there was one person who complained about being evicted with each of these properties."

"The same person?"

"It doesn't say."

"Why would someone have been evicted if the buildings were vacant?" Fenton asked.

"That's what I'm wondering. The records called them the complaints of some homeless men that had been illegally squatting, which I suppose is possible..."

"But how many homeless men bother with filing a formal complaint about losing their illegal hideout?" Fenton finished for him.

"Exactly."

"You may have just found our opening. Hand me those records and I'll start diving into this."

Joe slid the papers over to his Dad. "Well, now that we've found the connection..."

Fenton shook his head. "Go, get out of here. You've got your own case to solve."

Joe grinned, already grabbing his keys. "Thanks, Dad."

* * *

By the time Joe made it to downtown Bayport, some of his previously unshakable confidence had left him. Instead of bursting into the Flower Patch as he had originally planned he slunk into the deli across the street and looked up the store's phone number.

"You've reached the Flower Patch, Vanessa speaking. How can we cheer up your day today?"

"Wow," Joe said, unsure for a moment which way to respond to that question. "That's quite an opening."

"Joe?"

"You got it. How's the shop? Anymore strange notes?"

"Not that I've found. But to be honest, I haven't really wanted to look for them."

"I can do that, if you want," Joe offered quickly.

"Are you sure? I know you said you guys are working on some important case right now."

"As it happens, my dad is following up on a new lead, so I've got a little bit of time."

"Oh, okay. Well then if you wouldn't mind it be great to have a semi-professional looking into this."

"Semi? I'm insulted."

"Show me differently and I'll amend my statement," she said, and Joe could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'll do better than that - I'll be over there in about one minute and I'll give you a full assessment of the store's vulnerabilities."

Vanessa laughed. "Wow, sounds fancy."

"It's our silver package of investigating," Joe made up on the spot.

"What would I have to do for the gold package?" Vanessa teased.

Joe paused, trying to think of anything but the inappropriate suggestions running through his mind. "I'll have to let you know," he finally said, already on his way out the door and across the street.

* * *

Joe all but burst through the door of the Flower Patch, he was so eager to get to work solving Vanessa's mystery. He was dismayed, however, when he saw that Beth manned the register instead of her niece.

"Mr. Hardy," she said. "You're back."

Joe inclined his head with a grin. "I am. Thank you for delivering my flowers."

"It's part of the job," Beth said as she wiped down the counter.

"I was just on the phone with Vanessa. Is she around anywhere?" Joe said, trying to discreetly look around the store.

"I sent her upstairs to grab me a pair of rubber gloves, but she should be down any moment."

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just wait right here, then," he said, about to nonchalantly lean backwards before realizing that all level surfaces had flowers on them. He settled on stuffing his hands in his pockets instead.

"What's your endgame, here, Joe?" Beth asked, plopping down the rag she had held.

"Excuse me?" he asked, unsure of her meaning.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve? Vanessa is practically a daughter to me, and you have a reputation."

Joe's temper began to flare. This woman didn't know him - before the night of the break in he couldn't remember ever even seeing her before. "I'm not sure what you think you've heard about me, but I am not going to hurt your niece."

Beth pushed some hair away from her face. "I'm not sure that I can believe you."

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing that it's not up to you. Vanessa's a big girl and she can see whoever she wants." Joe straightened and closed the distance to the counter. "I will tell you this - I am a nice guy. At one time I'd even had a girlfriend I'm pretty sure I loved very much for several years, teaching me a strong lesson. I will never be anything but honest with Vanessa about where I stand. And besides, I'm only here to help with the note."

Beth's face had been carefully considering him as he gave his speech. She had almost started to nod when her expression changed to confusion. "What note?"

"Nothing to worry about, Aunt Beth," Vanessa said, coming down the stairs. "Joe's just here to help us make sure that the store is secure."

Beth hadn't looked away from Joe. "Well, be sure to thank him when he leaves."

Finally breaking her not-quite-hostile but definitely not welcome stare, Beth slipped on the rubber gloves and picked her rag up again, heading over to the glass cases.

"Come on back into the workroom, Joe," Vanessa said, leading the way through a side door.

Once inside, she settled onto a padded stool behind a counter, leaving Joe to sit in a chair a few feet away. It was strange for him to be looking up at her, though he couldn't say he didn't like it.

"Sorry about that," Vanessa said. "My aunt can be a little... protective."

Joe wondered how much she had heard, and if she knew what he had been talking about. He wasn't sure he was ready to share that part of himself with her. "Yeah, no big deal. Can I see that note you found again?"

"Um, about that," Vanessa started as she opened a drawer in the counter. "Beth doesn't exactly know that I found it yet, so try to keep that quiet."

Joe leaned forward. "She still doesn't know? Don't you think it would be something a store owner should be privy to?"

"Probably," Vanessa admitted, setting the note on the counter. "But she's got so much to worry about already. I didn't want to make it worse. If we figure anything out we can fill her in then."

Joe felt uneasy about keeping the aunt in the dark, but it wasn't his call. "So what do we tell her about why I'm here?"

"Just that you're helping with the break-in investigation. I mean, it's pretty much true anyway."

Joe slid the paper with magazine cut outs closer to him. "'Give me what I want,'" Joe read. "What do you suppose he wants?"

"I have no idea. I wish I did." Vanessa had idly started sharpening one of her knives.

"Well, maybe there are other notes with more detail. If you don't want to find them you can continue, um, what you're doing and I'll go through things back here."

Vanessa looked down at the knife in her hand and laughed. "Sorry. This probably looks a little threatening. I just like to keep my hands busy."

Joe grinned, fighting the urge to tell her that seeing her with a weapon was actually kind of hot. "Don't worry about it. Where do you keep your supplies?"

"All around," she said, gesturing. "You're welcome to open any cabinet or door. Over there is a walk-in refrigerator for flower storage. But I can help."

Joe got up and moved towards the fridge. "Are you sure? Last night you seemed uneasy about the prospect of finding others."

"Yeah, but I feel like with someone else here it's not as eerie."

She wasn't looking at him when she said it, but he couldn't stop himself from hoping that what she really meant was with him there it wasn't as bad.

"Okay. Why don't you start with the counter and drawers then? And remember, try to keep yourself from touching it as much as possible. If there are fingerprints we'll want to keep from messing them up."

Joe pulled open the door to the fridge and was met with a blast of cold air. Buckets of flowers lined the tiny room in all different stages of life. Most of them were buds just starting to open. Carefully, he pulled out each bundle of flowers and looked through the stems and buckets for anything suspicious. He tried to keep them from dripping water on him, but he was only mildly successful.

Just as he had finished the buckets and was about to start checking behind the shelves, Vanessa called his name.

"What is it?" he asked, popping his head out of the fridge. "Are you okay?"

"I think I found one," she said, pointing to the bouquet wrapped in plastic and green tissue paper. "It's between the folds."

Immediately Joe closed the door of the fridge behind him before hurrying to her side. Glancing around, he found an unused latex glove and plucked the small paper from the bouquet. The note was much like the first one - letters cut out of a magazine to form the words and glued onto white paper.

"When did you make this bouquet?" Joe asked, carefully turning the note over.

"Yesterday afternoon," she answered and leaned back against the counter.

"'It's here somewhere,'" Joe read. "What's here?"

"I don't know!" Vanessa said, frustrated. "I have no idea what this person wants. Just what we needed: another useless and cryptic clue."

Joe slowly shook his head, a grin growing on his face. "You're looking at this the wrong way. This is a good thing."

"How in the world is this a good thing?" Vanessa said with folded arms.

Joe set the note down on the counter and turned to face her. "First of all, we know that what he wants is an "it," or a thing. It's not a ransom, or information, or anything like that. It's a tangible thing that could hidden somewhere around here."

"So how does that help us?"

Joe's grin was in full force. "It means that we can find it."

"We have no idea where to even start looking! And then assuming we do find it, what do we do then, give it to him?" Vanessa couldn't help but feel a little exasperated at Joe's glee.

He looked mildly insulted. "Of course not. We use it to draw him out."

"Or we could just go to the police."

Joe nodded. "We could. That is, of course, your choice. How are they doing with catching the guy who broke your door?"

Vanessa's face darkened. "Don't remind me."

"I'm just saying, they have to go through certain channels. I don't. Well," he amended, "mostly."

She considered him for a moment. "Okay. I'll give you a little bit of time. But if bad things keep happening I can't keep my aunt in the dark and she's going to tell the police."

"I fully support that," Joe said, though he noticed she didn't look anymore assured. Rubbing his hand down her arm he added. "Hey, it's going to be fine. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you."

"I want to believe you..." she hedged, watching his hand stroke her skin.

"Then do. I'll find this guy and make sure that you're safe."

Joe was standing close enough to her that Vanessa only had to lean in about six inches before she was resting her head against his shoulder. Carefully, so he didn't spook her, he moved his hand from her arm until it circled her back, gently holding her against him. After a moment he felt her sigh, some of the tension leaving her body. Even though almost every part of him screamed to make a further move, his desire to help her feel safe with him overwhelmed everything else.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd shown such restraint in similar circumstances.

Finally, right about the time that Joe didn't think he'd be able to keep himself in check anymore, Vanessa pulled away and ran a hand through her blond hair.

"Thanks, Joe. I guess I'm just tired of being afraid."

"No, I completely understa -"

"And I hate that that makes me seem so completely weak and useless. I mean, you wouldn't be afraid, would you? You'd just go to work nailing the jerk to the wall. So would that girl you hang out with - Nancy, I think? Anyway, she wouldn't be a quivering mess of fear."

"Woah, woah," Joe said, holding up his hands. "Slow down. I think you're forgetting something very important. Nancy and I do this for a living. In fact, we've been doing this practically since we were born. It's part of who we are, and we, or at least I, fully recognize that most people are not like this. Most people are what I would call 'normal'."

Vanessa sighed again and looked down. "I guess I just feel so totally useless compared to you."

"Useless?" Joe said. "You've got to be kidding me. I don't even want to know how badly I would massacre all of the flowers you have in here."

"Yeah, but flowers aren't good for much. They don't help people like you do."

Joe pushed her chin up with his hand until she looked at him. "Tell that to my mother. She practically gushed over the last bunch of flowers I brought home from here. Now how about we brainstorm about what this man is after while you show me how to make something out of all of this... plastic."

Vanessa cracked a smile. "It's called cellophane. And sure, why not? It always helps calm my nerves."

"Just wait until you see me wielding a scissors. Your nerves might be shot by the time we're done."

Her smile grew wider as she pulled out her favorite squishy-handled pair of flower shears. "I think that's a risk I'm willing to take."

Forty-five minutes and only one sliced finger later, two bunches of flowers sat on the counter in front of them. Neither person said anything for a moment as they took in the two bouquets.

"Do you think my mom will be able to tell which one was mine?" Joe finally asked.

Vanessa couldn't help it - she burst out laughing. "Um, yeah, there's a very good possibility."

One bunch had all of the perfection of a professional - tidy, beautifully complemented flowers and colors, everything at the same height. Tissue paper created a perfect wrapping around them. The other looked a little sad in comparison.

"It's not my fault the flowers started drooping!" Joe exclaimed. "You gave me defective flowers!"

"You picked them out yourself," Vanessa said, still laughing.

"Yeah, whatever," Joe grumbled.

"Besides," she added, "that's kind of the least of your problems where this is concerned."

"Oh yeah? What else is wrong?"

Vanessa tapped her chin in thought. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where to begin."

"Hey!" Joe said, curling his arms around his bouquet to protect it.

"I'm just kidding," she said with a grin. "I'm sure your mom will love it. Just don't put the one I made next to it so she won't have anything to compare it to."

"Fine," Joe grumbled before breaking into his own laugh.

Vanessa finally said, "You know, we never actually did brainstorm about the notes."

"I know, I thought I'd give us a chance to not think about it for a while. I, for one, am now in a much better head space to do some good brainstorming."

"I agree," she said with a chuckle. "Somehow looking at that thing you made makes me less scared of everything else."

"So," Joe emphasized, ignoring the barb, "did that bouquet go anywhere else besides this room?"

"No, it's been back here the whole time since I made it yesterday evening."

"See? We're already learning things," he encouraged. "Then who has access to this room?"

"As far as I know, only myself and my aunt. Occasionally we'll have delivery men come and leave things in the fridge, but we haven't had anything for several days."

"And there's no way that note could have been stuck in the paper when you wrapped it up?"

"No, definitely not. I always wrap each sheet at a time."

Joe was silent for a moment while Vanessa looked expectantly at him. "You're not going to like what I have to say," he started, "but right now there's seems to be a pretty simple conclusion."

"I know what you're thinking, but it's not Beth. What reason would she have?"

"I know," he said, "but we're at least going to have to find out if she's let anyone else into this room in the last day."

Vanessa had a resigned look on her face. "Yeah, you're right. I guess it's time to get her in the loop."

"Maybe. We should play it carefully for a little while."

"What, you really do think she had something to do with this?" Anger had started to tinge her voice.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But you would be horrified by the amount of times someone said those exact words to me right before learning a terrible truth. I've learned to explore all of the options, even if some of them are ugly."

"For the record, I don't like this," she said, folding her arms again, "but I understand. We'll do things your way - for now."

* * *

***sigh* They are so much fun to write...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's chapter 9!**

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* * *

"So did you get a chance to talk to the aunt?"

Joe had just finished filling Frank in on Vanessa's case, hoping for some insight from his brother. So far all he'd done was ask questions, trying to get any information Joe might have missed.

"Not yet. She was out by the time we were done in the back room and I had to get back to the case with Dad."

"How's that going, anyway?"

Joe's voice turned noticeably more excited. "I may have actually found something. The records of previous ownership may have been faulty."

"For all of the properties?"

"At least three of them."

"Well, that's a place to start."

"Here's hoping. So anyway, I'm hoping to resolve this thing that Vanessa's dealing with quickly so I can get back to asking her out."

"Why can't you do that now?" Frank asked.

"I don't want to her to confuse Detective Joe and Potential-Boyfriend Joe in her mind."

"What?" Frank laughed. "I don't even want to know."

"But, hey, she did say this one strange thing. She seemed really down that she wasn't part of the mystery solving team."

"That's crazy. Doesn't she know that our lives are ridiculously insane? Most people would hate doing what we do."

"I know," Joe said, "that's what I tried to tell her. Was it ever like that with Callie?"

Frank thought for a second. "Some. You remember how jealous she would get about not being part of our cases, right?"

"Um, yes. Yes I do." Joe and Callie's fights had occasionally turned into the stuff of legends.

"So it might be something like that. You'll just want to make sure it's not like what Nancy and Ned had."

"How was that different?"

"Callie hated being left out of things, even if it was dangerous. Ned, however, always just wished that Nancy wasn't a detective. He wished that he could change that part of her. Believe me, it's a huge difference."

"Makes sense. I really hope it's doesn't turn out like that."

"Don't worry too much about it, Joe. Worry more about finally getting that date."

"Ha ha," Joe deadpanned before hanging up.

* * *

The next day Frank and Nancy were dressed up like the important investors they were trying to portray.

"You ready for this?" Nancy asked Frank as he cinched his striped red tie around his neck. They were about a block away from the entrance to Ned's office building.

"Definitely," he said without a hint of doubt in his voice. He'd been pretending to be someone else for the sake of a case since he was a kid. Not to mention that he and Nancy had reconnected in Europe when they were both undercover.

Ned watched them from a few feet away, anxiously wringing his hands. "Okay," he finally said. "When you go in the main doors they will ask you what business you have there since you won't be following protocol and showing an ID."

"And we say that we're Rebecca and Cole Addison and that we have an appointment with Mr. Peterson," Nancy added.

"Then Steve will be called to come fetch us for a tour of the facility," Frank finished. "Nothing to worry about."

Ned didn't look reassured in the slightest. "If you say so."

"We do," Nancy said. "This will get us one step closer to clearing your name."

"Yeah, okay," he said. "I definitely do want that."

Frank turned to start walking down the block, frustrated with Ned's lack of faith in them. He much preferred to get going then hash it all out again. "Then don't worry too much about us. We're going to do whatever we can to help you."

"Good luck," Ned said as he watched them stride away from him, Nancy's hand tucked in the crook of Frank's arm.

When they entered the building, everything went exactly like Ned said that it would. They were asked to sign in and then Steve was called down to escort them into the facility. There was one unexpected thing though - a young woman was with him.

"Hello, um, Mr. and Mrs. Addison," Steve said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Nancy took his outstretched hand. "Please, call me Rebecca. And who is this lovely lady? I wasn't aware that we'd have an entourage."

Steve glanced nervously back and forth between them. "Yes, allow me to introduce Sarah Watkins. She's an intern and was assigned to shadow me for the day."

"It's wonderful to meet such an important business woman, Mrs. Addison," Sarah said meekly.

"Rebecca," Nancy repeated. "And the pleasure is all mine. Shall we? There is much to see before we make our final decision about whether or not this is the right place for our investments."

"Yes, of course," Steve said, nodding to the security guard to allow them to enter the secure part of the offices.

The building itself was a typical downtown structure - glass and cement on the outside, chrome and tile inside. Nancy's heels clicked as they briskly walked through the lobby towards an elevator. Frank's shoes, on the other hand, were purposefully silent as he followed behind the group. He was supposed to be secondary to Nancy in their little charade. She held the power while he had the name. They planned to play it up enough to give him some freedom once they were in the lab.

"Let's start with meeting some of the people in charge, okay?" Steve said, pushing the elevator button for level two instead of for basement level two, where the lab was.

Nancy flashed him a look, but all she said was, "All right. You're the one leading this whole thing."

Once the doors closed Sarah started talking, asking questions about what it was like to be a woman in the business world. Nancy answered her questions as generally as possible, hoping to dissuade the girl from continuing.

After riding in what must have been the slowest moving elevator in the world the four of them stepped out onto a floor with plush carpet and warm furnishings. It was in complete contrast to the lobby.

Nancy couldn't help looking around, surprised at the decor. "It's quite lovely up here, isn't it?"

"Only the best for our CEO," Steve said with a tight smile.

He took them on an extended tour through the offices, introducing them to everyone that they came across. Nancy wasn't thrilled about it - too many people that could potentially recognize her later. She wasn't sure why he was bothering with all of it when he knew they just wanted to get to the lab.

"It's probably standard procedure," Frank murmured to her, correctly interpreting her small frown. "He can't do anything out of the ordinary without people becoming suspicious of him."

"I know," Nancy said quietly through a bright smile. "I just hate that all these people have now seen our faces."

"Yeah, but you have to remember that to them all you look like is a stack of money. They probably won't even remember what you're wearing by the time we're back on the elevator."

"Let's hope so," Nancy said before turning to shake another man's hand.

After a few more minutes of schmoozing with the higher-ups, Nancy had had enough. She turned to Steve and said, "This is all well and good, but I want to know about your actual labs - how they run, who works there, what the conditions are like. You'll find that I prefer to be hands-on with these kinds of things."

Steve cleared his throat and wiped his forehead. "Yes, of course. We should get moving then."

Nancy turned to the other men and shook everyone's hand again, assuring them that she would be back once her curiosity was satisfied. Unfortunately, they weren't able to shake Sarah. She followed them back to the elevator.

"Sarah, dear, I'm sure there are important things you're needed for. You don't need to follow a couple of visitors like us around," Nancy said, hoping she'd take the hint.

"Nonsense," she said, finally showing some backbone. "This is my assignment for the time being. It's no trouble, I promise."

"How wonderful," Nancy said, only a hint of annoyance in her voice. Frank momentarily rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, causing her to relax just a little. Sarah was just one more obstacle that they would work around.

Finally Steve pressed the button for B2, sending the elevator on a slow journey past the lobby and into the basement. He had been regaling them with facts about the company the whole way. He knew that they didn't really care that much about it, but she supposed that it helped him act more natural.

This time when the doors opened they again felt like they were in a completely different building. Everything was white and sterile looking. Steve led them into a room just past the elevator where a bunch of heavy white coats, masks, and gloves lined a wall.

"Anyone who goes past this point has to be properly outfitted," he said, gesturing to the wall. "Myself included. You have to empty your pockets, leaving any bags and cell phones here for security reasons. They will be perfectly safe with Boyd."

A security guard standing at the entrance to the secured part of the floor gave them a nod. Frank felt a small moment of unease. Steve had never mentioned this part of it when they had talked with him and Ned. Frank needed some of the things in his pockets to complete his goal on Ned's computer.

Nancy looked at him, knowing his dilemma. Annoyance at Steve simmered through her, though her pleasant exterior never cracked.

"Here, darling," she said, coming up to Frank. "Let me help you with all of those silly things you insist on keeping with you."

He handed her the thumb drive and other small gadgets he needed, not sure what she was doing but completely trusting her to have a plan.

"Oh dear," she continued, "I just can't take you anywhere, can I? Your shoes are untied again. Double-knotting, Cole. That's how you fix that problem." She leaned down and briskly re-tied his laces. If Frank hadn't felt her slip the drive inside his shoe he would have never known that she'd done it. A tiny smile ghosted across his face. She always had been an incredibly fast problem-solver. The little drive pressed uncomfortably against his foot, but he was happy to live with it.

"All set?" Steve asked once they had suited up. "Let's get out there and show you how we run things around here."

He led them through clean rooms with all sorts of equipment. Nancy had no idea what it was all used for, but she knew it didn't matter. She just kept waiting for the moment that she would step inside Ned's lab and they could get to the real work.

"And finally," Steve said, emphasizing the words, "we come to the lab of one of our best chemists - Mr. Ned Nickerson."

"Wonderful," Nancy said, keeping herself from showing anything more than the polite boredom she'd exhibited the entire time they'd been down there. "This is really where my husband comes alive. If it's okay with you he'd like to take a look around."

"I don't know," Steve hedged.

"I promise he won't hurt anything," Nancy said, a hint of steel in her voice. He'd been making this way more difficult than he had too, and it stopped now.

"Well, I suppose that's fine," he said with a sigh. "Let me introduce you to some of the other lab workers."

Nancy prepared herself to come in contact with Karie, the girl she had met outside of the building before, but luckily she didn't seem to be in the room. There were two other people though, and Steve confirmed her suspicions by introducing them as Charlie and Jenna - Ned's lab technicians. Neither of them bothered to acknowledge her much past nodding their heads, but Nancy couldn't blame them. They seemed to be focusing very intently on something using the fancy equipment that filled the room.

Frank finally shot Nancy a look - it was now or never. The computer was sitting right in the open on the other side of the room from the lab techs, who were paying next to no attention to them. The only person of concern was Sarah, who had been taking in their every move.

"Sarah, dear," Nancy said, taking the girl's arm and turning her to face her so the computer was at her back. "Why don't we talk a little bit more about being a woman and a business person?"

The girl's entire face lit up. "Really? Right now?"

"Lesson number one," Nancy said, watching Frank move towards the computer out of the corner of her eye. "There's no time like the present. You never know what will happen tomorrow. That's why Cole and I decided to stop talking about this place and finally visit."

"Oh, I totally agree," she gushed. "What college did you go to? Did you major in business?"

As Nancy delved further into her cover than she thought she'd have to - Sarah was thorough - Frank used his silent shoes to his advantage as he reached the computer. There were a handful of pictures around it - Ned and his mother, another of him and who was probably a friend. Frank stopped short when he saw a small picture tucked away of Ned with a red-haired girl. He knew he shouldn't waste the time, but he couldn't stop himself from pulling it out and confirming his suspicions: Ned had a picture of him and Nancy from when they were teens. And not only that, he was still displaying it, however discretely, on his work desk.

A slight sick feeling came over him, but he shoved it down and tucked the picture away. He had a job to do and he couldn't let this stop him. He also couldn't stand working at this man's computer while his own girlfriend stared out at him from a picture with Ned. Ignoring the guilt, he shoved the tiny picture in his pocket.

Luckily the computer was already on so he saved some time when it would have been booting. Ned told him his password, so that wasn't a problem either. In no time at all he was staring at one of those computer generated picture backgrounds. For Ned being such a tidy person, there were icons all over the desktop.

"Great," Frank sighed to himself. It would take forever to find any useful information. He stuck the thumb drive into the port and got to work sifting through a couple of the folders. Nothing looked to be useful, but he couldn't be completely sure.

Deciding that it would be impossible to copy everything they might need, he opened the drive and started uploading a hidden program. When it was about halfway done he heard Nancy say, "Oh, hello Karie. It's lovely to see you again. Remember me, Rebecca Addison?"

Karie made a sound of confusion in response.

"Come on, come on," Frank said to the computer and sighed when it finally showed that the upload was complete. In a matter of seconds he had pulled the drive and logged off of the computer.

"You remember my husband, Cole," Nancy said just as he arrived behind Karie and Sarah's backs.

"Pleasure," he said with a smile. "Rebecca love, we have that other meeting in an hour. We best be going."

"Oh yes, he's right," she said with exaggerated disappointment to Karie. "We'll have to catch up some other time. Good luck with your work."

"And yours..." Karie said, still sounding puzzled.

In only a few minutes Frank and Nancy were waving goodbye to Steve at the entrance of the building, thanking him for the wonderful tour.

"We'll be sure to contact you if we have any more questions," Nancy said, shooting him a look.

Steve noticeably swallowed, understanding her double meaning. "Yes, of course. Anything that you need. Now I really must get back to work." Then he disappeared back inside the elevator.

"Did you find anything useful?" Nancy asked once they were outside.

"Not that I could tell," Frank said, but before Nancy could deflate, he added, "but I was able to place a backdoor program."

"Really? That was fast."

"What can I say? It's what I do."

"And you're amazing," Nancy said, grinning up at him and taking his hand.

He lifted their joined hands and kissed her fingers. "I'm just glad we made it out of there."

It took him a moment to unclench his other hand from crushing the picture in his pocket.

* * *

**Oh, Frank's getting feisty! Thanks for sticking with this story!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I realize I have been sporadic with posting. Because of reasons. But to make up for it, I am going to post a chapter both today and tomorrow (and possibly Monday, but that depends on work).**

**I'm trying to win back your love... :)**

**Reviewers!: Lady Emily, Caranath, bhar (#100!), LazyPanther, max2013, Stork Hardy, KennaC, leyapearl, hardylover, JackieJacks, Guest, SC15, Guest, Guest**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own the Merlin Season 4 DVDs. Are you watching Merlin? You should be. **

* * *

"Thanks for coming by," Vanessa said as she pulled Joe inside the door of the shop and closed it quickly.

"Woah, what's with the sneaky?" Joe said, glancing around the empty store.

"Nothing, I guess," she said, looking nervous. "I just really wish there was some other way to figure things out without accusing my aunt."

Joe took her hand squeezed. "Hey, we're not accusing her of anything. Just think of this as getting more information. Once we have more to work with then we can talk about who to accuse."

"Yeah, okay," she said, though she didn't sound too reassured. "She's upstairs, so I'll go get her."

"Or, we could just go up there," Joe suggested, unwilling to pass up an opportunity to see where Vanessa lived.

She shook her head and started up the stairs. "We can't leave the store unattended for anything longer than a few seconds."

Before Joe had enough time to even to make one circuit around the store the two women were already coming back down from their upstairs apartment. Even though their footfalls were light, the stairs of the old building creaked with each step.

"What's this about?" Beth asked, settling on a stool behind the counter.

Joe pulled up a stool of his own, hoping to keep the conversation less like an interrogation and more friendly.

"Vanessa asked me to do a little bit of looking into the things that have been happening around here."

"Things?" Beth asked. "You mean the door being broken?"

"Yes, that," Joe said, unwilling to be the one to tell her about the notes if Vanessa didn't want him to. "We're thinking that maybe the person was after something specific."

"Who's we?" Beth asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Vanessa and myself," Joe answered confidently. "And my father can add some input if necessary. Don't worry, I don't intend to step on the Police's toes. I'm just here to give Vanessa a little piece of mind."

The suspicious look on Beth's face didn't entirely go away, but she looked at least a little more receptive. "So what do you need from me?"

"Just some information," Joe said, repeating what he had told Vanessa. "I'm just hoping to learn a little more about the way things work around here."

"Go ahead," she said with a flick of her hand. "Ask away."

"Who all has access to the back room?" Joe asked, not bothering to ease into it.

"Just Vanessa, myself, and the occasional delivery man."

"When did you last have a delivery?"

"Let me pull out my calendar," Beth said, grabbing a small book. "Let's see... it looks like it was about four days ago."

"The morning of the break in?" Vanessa interjected.

"Yes, that's right. But the delivery man was Henry - same as always. I can't imagine what he would have to do with anything."

"What's his last name?" Joe asked, then wrote it down when she answered. "I'll to talk to him just to be sure."

"What about yesterday?" Vanessa asked. "Did you let anyone into the back room then?"

"No, not that I can recall," Beth answered immediately. "I can't think of any reason why I would have."

"Then did anybody have a chance to slip back there?" Joe pressed.

"No, I don't think so. There was a large group that came in when Vanessa was out, but I'm almost positive that no one left the group."

"Almost?" Joe asked. "This is really important."

Beth spread her hands in exasperation. "I mean, I guess it's possible. There were at least ten people and this room is just not that big. I had a lot on my mind."

"Did they buy anything?"

"Yes, a lot, actually."

Joe tried to keep himself from celebrating until he heard the answer to his next question. "Do you still have any of the receipts?"

Beth pulled out a stack from under the register. "Right here."

He clenched his fist in excitement. "Good. This will be very helpful."

"I wouldn't be too happy - I can't tell you exactly who they were out of this stack."

"As long as you can give me a general timeframe of when they were here, it's good enough."

"It would have been about eleven o'clock yesterday morning. Again, I don't know exactly, but it was around that time."

Joe was already sifting through the receipts. "Perfect, thank you."

Just then a couple of people came into the store. They looked curiously over at what was going on at the counter as they examined some flowers along the wall.

"Um, Joe?" Vanessa said, feeling uncomfortable with showing their business to potential customers. "Let's take this upstairs."

"Huh?" He said, looking up, then saw the people. "Oh, sure. Let's grab this stuff and go."

"I mean," Vanessa continued, "if that's okay with you, Aunt Beth."

"Of course, dear. I'll be fine down here. Just make sure that you value these people's privacy. I don't even want to know the trouble I could be in for sharing those receipts."

"Actually," Joe started, ready to explain, but Vanessa cut him off.

"We understand, and we'll be careful. Let's go, Joe." She grabbed his arm and started to lead him upstairs. He barely had enough time to grab his notebook and the pile of receipts.

She let go of him and led him up through a bend in the narrow wooden stairs until the reached the second floor. There was a door with a lock, as if it was an apartment within the building.

"We didn't use to lock it, but since the other day..." Vanessa explained, then shrugged.

Once they were through the door, it opened into a small sitting room with a kitchen off to the side. The floor there was still made out of old wood and several plush rugs had been placed around the open spaces.

Joe sat down on a leather couch and set his things down on the coffee table. He couldn't help but take a look around the room - this was where Vanessa spent her time. With any luck he'd be spending that time with her in the near future. The furniture was either made out of tan leather or a dark colored wood, and the walls were painted a cheery yellow. The sun coming through the window make the whole room practically glow. It was hard to feel uncomfortable in a room like that.

"So this is where you live, huh?"

"Yep, for almost a year now. And believe me, it's bigger than the fifth floor walkup I had when I was in the City."

"Why'd you come here, anyway?" Joe asked. It was a question he'd been wanting to ask for a while but never felt like he'd had a good time.

"Well, my aunt needed help with her business. People aren't spending as much money as they used to on things as frivolous as flowers, so she couldn't afford to hire anyone to work for her. My mom mentioned that she needed someone for little or no pay and I wasn't in the best situation, so I jumped at the chance."

"What was going on in New York?" Joe asked, hoping she didn't shut down at the probing question.

Vanessa sat down in the armchair across from him and curled her feet under herself. "I had a boyfriend, and he wasn't a very good person."

He had to step on the anger building in him with imaginary feet to keep it from spilling out. "He didn't... hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. He just wasn't going anywhere in his life. I was working two jobs to pay for my apartment and he'd crash there more often than not even though I'd asked for space. Then he'd whine about the fact that I didn't have a nicer place. Not to mention the fact that he was a bit of a player. He'd say that we were exclusive but then he'd hit on other girls."

"What a jerk," Joe said, irritated just from hearing about the guy. He was beginning to understand Vanessa's reluctance to date himself, especially since when they'd first met he'd probably acted just like this guy.

"Yeah, I know that now, but at the time it was hard to see. I did know I needed a change though, and then this situation with Beth happened."

"Wasn't it hard to leave the City and your friends?"

Sadness seemed to overtake her face, but only for a brief moment. "That was the hardest part. I don't miss my jobs in food service, but I did make some pretty great friends at it. They call sometimes, but less frequently the longer I'm here."

"Well, if you're ever bored and need a friend, don't hesitate to call me. I could even hook you up with some pretty awesome girls I know that would be happy to hang out with you."

Vanessa smirked. "Girls that are friends? I didn't think you had any of those. Unless they're all ex-girlfriends instead?"

Joe hesitated before answering. "I've only had one serious girlfriend in my life, and it was a long time ago."

"What happened?" Vanessa asked, drawn in.

He looked up at her and opened his mouth to answer. Then he felt the hard metal in his pocket pressing against his leg. "You know what? It's kind of a long story. What you've got going on is way more time sensitive."

She sat up straighter, cheeks barely turning pink. "Oh, of course. I didn't mean to pry. What do you want me to do?"

"You didn't, don't worry. Here, take half of this stack and sort through until you find ones from between ten and twelve o'clock yesterday. Depending on how your aunt keeps them they should all be together."

Without another word they both started sifting through receipts. The only sound in the room was the quiet friction of papers brushing against each other.

* * *

"Joe, look."

Vanessa's voice broke him out of his paper sorting zone only a few minutes later.

"Find something?"

"Maybe. Here's a grouping of receipts all between eleven o'clock and eleven-thirty from people with the last name of Graber."

Joe came around the table until he was leaning over her to look at the receipts. "Is there anything we could use to contact them?"

"Not really. Just their names and the last four digits of their cards."

He pointed to a line on the receipt. "Yeah, but it also tells us which card company each person uses."

"What good will that do us? It's not like the company will give out their information," Vanessa said.

"True," Joe agreed. "But we won't need them to. With this information, the company will get the people to call us."

Vanessa didn't ask how, but she did look at him suspiciously. He almost laughed as he got out his cell phone and looked up the numbers for each credit card company.

"Hello," he said when finally through to a real person, "I'd like to report a card that was left at my store." After being prompted he rattled off the name and the four digits. "Huh. Well that's strange. Can you have them call me just in case? I'd hate for them to be freaking out about it. Perfect. Thank you. And I hope you also have a wonderful day. Goodbye."

After ending the call, he turned to Vanessa. "It's done. The card hadn't been reported missing, obviously, but they will call Ms. Graber and let her know of the situation, asking her to call us."

"I can't believe that worked," she said, shaking her head in wonder.

"You'd be amazed what people will fall for," he said with a shrug.

"I'm not sure that's comforting. How do I know that you're not just trying to get me to fall for something?" Vanessa asked, smirking at him.

I am trying to get you to fall for something, he thought. Me. But instead he said, "I wouldn't ever manipulate you like that, I promise."

"We'll see," was all she said. "So now what?"

"Now we make a few more calls, and then we wait. They'll call us quickly, though it may still take an hour or so."

Joe settled in, propping his feet up on the coffee table, and scanned another receipt for the company. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Vanessa do the same.

* * *

"I still can't quite believe you guys did that."

Ned shook his head and leaned back against the back of his chair. The three of them were sitting in a diner not far from the pharmaceutical building at the most inconspicuous table possible. Frank couldn't help himself from wishing that Ned could be replaced by his brother - a much more preferred trio than the one he was currently a part of.

"Really?" Nancy said. "After all you've seen us do in the past? After all you've helped us do?"

"I know, I should be used to it," Ned agreed. "I guess I've been out of the game for a while."

"Don't forget - that was your choice," Nancy said quietly.

Frank couldn't help but feel incredibly uncomfortable as he tried to stare only at his computer screen. It seemed like that was a conversation that Nancy and Ned needed to have, and probably in private. He couldn't honestly say that the thought of the two of them rehashing their breakup made him happy inside. The picture in his pocket seemed to be burning through his clothes and into his skin. There was the tiniest sliver of him that worried - even while simultaneously knowing it was ridiculous - that they would end up back together. But he hated seeing her in pain.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Frank was able to announce some good news. "I'm in."

"Already?" Nancy asked, now suitably distracted from Ned. "That was fast."

"Yeah, well, it helps that I had the program in place," Frank answered, still tapping away at the keyboard, doing his best to smooth out his anxiety over the conversation he interrupted.

"So how exactly does this help us?" Ned asked curiously, leaning in to see the screen. "What do we now have access to?"

Frank had to smile. "Everything. Everything that you would be able to get to if you were sitting in front of you computer at your desk."

"That's insane," he marveled.

Nancy's smile matched her boyfriend's. "That's Frank. He's amazing at this kind of thing."

"Anyway," Frank said, clearing his throat. "Where should we start? It's your computer, after all."

* * *

**See you tomorrow! I know after being so hit and miss I have no place to ask for reviews, but, if you feel so inclined I'd love to hear from you... :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11, as promised! Another Joe chapter. Don't worry, F/N fans, they'll get their turn in the next one!**

**Rad Reviewers: Lady Emily, Caranath, max2013, Guest, Stork Hardy, ILoveMom, JackieJacks, Guest**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two pounds of fresh strawberries. Well, only one now...**

* * *

"So," Joe said, turning to Vanessa, "what do you want to do while we wait?"

They had just finished calling all of the companies on the receipts hoping to get in contact with the people in the store at the time the note was hidden in Vanessa's flowers. Eventually they had both migrated to sitting next to each other on the couch. Her feet were curled under her, while Joe's were propped up on the coffee table next to the stack of receipts.

"I should probably get down there and help out, actually," Vanessa said, though she made no move to get up.

"Yeah, sure. I'll just head back to my dad's office and let you know if I hear anything." He didn't move, either.

"Look," Vanessa said, at the same time that Joe said her name.

"You go first," Joe said, really glad that he hadn't just potentially humiliated myself.

She turned to face him, leaving her hand only a few inches away from his leg. "I was just going to say that I'm really grateful for all of your help. I don't know how I'd be handling this without you knowing exactly what to do."

Joe smiled. "You know what though? Everything I've seen of you tells me that you can kick butt all on your own. I'm just the instruction manual."

She smirked back at him. "Well in that case, I think I'll just get the paperback version. It'd probably talk less."

"Hey," Joe said, pleasantly surprised that she had just mocked him like that. "What if it's dark and you couldn't read? Or what if you were trapped and couldn't use your hands to turn the pages? I bet I'd be more useful."

"I'm not sure the trade off would be worth it," she said and looked away so she wouldn't laugh.

"Wow. I don't have to sit here and take this. So much for being grateful…" he trailed off and made motions to stand up.

Vanessa grabbed his hand, keeping him in his place. "I'm just kidding. You, Joseph Hardy, are indispensable."

Before she could slide her hand away, he turned his over and trapped her skin against his. He thought about making some quip, but the usually rapid-fire words wouldn't come. He was too drawn in by the honest, open look on her face. This girl was so very different from all of the others. Except for one.

"Go out with me."

"What?" she said, startled. She tried to slip her hand away but he held on tighter. His bright blue eyes held fast to her gaze.

"You heard me. I've asked before. Go out with me. Let me show you how good I can be for you."

"Why would this time be different?" she asked quietly. "I can't wait for another hour only to realize that no one is going to show up."

"I could be kidnapped and still find a way to get to you."

"I'm sure you say that to all of your many conquests," she said sadly. "I decided a long time ago never to be that to another guy."

"That's where you're wrong," Joe said, surprising himself with his own desperation. "I never, ever, lie to a girl to get her to go out with me. Sure, I flirt, and I tease, but I never give girls a false impression of my commitment. If there's one thing I know about myself, I know that I'd never be okay with being that kind of guy."

"So what's changed? Why are you doing it now?" The sadness in her voice almost broke his long-repaired heart back into pieces.

"I'm not," he said quietly.

"Not what?"

"Giving a false impression of my commitment."

Vanessa's hand shifted under his own, so he let her go. He'd just laid himself bare to her, metaphorically speaking, and now it was up to her to decide what to do with it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd allowed himself to be so vulnerable, and he fervently hoped he wouldn't end up regretting it as soon as she had something to say.  
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Joe knew he had to give her the time to fully understand what he had just said to her, but with each second that passed in silence his heart raced a little faster. _This is it_, he thought. _This is the moment I will remember as the one that sealed my fate as a bachelor_.

When she finally spoke, it wasn't exactly what he hoped to hear. Or what he expected to hear, either. She had a thoughtful, determined look on her face.

"Don't move," she said.

"Oka – " he started to say, but she pressed a finger to his lips. He had to fight the urge to open his mouth and take it inside.

"Don't speak either."

Eyes wide with anticipation, he nodded ever-so slightly, hoping that that was acceptable.

Slowly, so slowly that he wasn't entirely sure that it was actually happening, Vanessa leaned towards him, shifting until she was kneeling on the couch next to him. He tensed up every muscle in his body to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her into him.

Still considering him with that look that spoke of a million thoughts going on behind her eyes, she removed her finger from his mouth and placed it in her lap. She was only an inch away from him. He wondered if this was a test – if he was supposed to be the one to complete the other ten percent. Or if it was the other kind of test – if he could control himself not to close the distance. He didn't know which response she was looking for, but he knew which one would make him happy. All of his self-control was just about to snap like a too-tight guitar string.

Then she kissed him.

So lightly at first he had to convince himself it was real, her soft lips pressed into his. He had just enough brain power left to follow her earlier command and keep his hands where they were even though his fingers ached to touch her. He was determined to be content with whatever she planned to give him.

After what was probably only a few seconds, the chaste kiss ended as she pulled back. Long lashes lifted and then she was looking at him, a new expression on her face.

"What?" he asked, and hated how breathless he sounded from a three-second kiss.

A faint ghost of a smirk turned up the corners of her mouth. "I thought I asked you not to speak."

Joe wasn't sure how to respond or even if he should, but he was saved from making the decision by Vanessa's mouth pressing against his again.

This kiss was different, as if she had found an answer to some unknown question. Oh, it wasn't a passionate, open-mouthed, fiery type of kiss. He didn't doubt that she had it in her, but he also didn't doubt that she wouldn't expose that part of herself easily. This kiss was decisive, longer, significant in a way he didn't yet understand.

She still knelt next to him and lifted her hand touched his face, tentatively feeling the rough spots where he'd done a poor job of shaving. Because she was kneeling and he was slouching, she had to lean over him.

Feeling her gentle fingers on his skin snapped the string holding him back. He moved his hands from where they'd sat immobile by his sides and slid them into her hair. She started to pull back, but he held her there, said, "No. Not yet."

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't speak," she said against his mouth. He thought she was going for teasing, but it was hard to tell when their lips were against each other and she felt so damn good.

"Yeah, well, you also said not to touch you, but that didn't exactly last either," he said, his lips brushing hers with each word. He slid a hand down her back, resisting the urge to sit up and take the dominant spot. She had initiated this, and he was more than willing to see where she took them. He wasn't disappointed when she started to slide from her kneeling position into a more comfortable one – onto his lap.

His cell phone rang. Startled, she missed his lap and ended up landing hard on the floor, ripping her mouth away from his. He scrambled to silence the ringer.

Vanessa was still on the floor and she had started trembling. He momentarily worried that she'd somehow injured herself on the way down. Relief coursed through him when he saw that the shaking was from laughter. It was the kind that made no sound, even if her body was making the motions.

"Oh my gosh," she said after a moment, wiping her moist eyes. "I think my stomach's starting to cramp. Aren't you going to get that?" She nodded the phone in his hand, still lit up.

He pushed the talk button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Why yes, hello, is this the Flower Patch?" A rich Southern twang colored an older woman's voice.

"In fact it is. How can we brighten your day today?" He smirked at Vanessa who rolled her eyes at his use of their phone catch phrase.

"Well, I got the strangest call from my credit card company. They said that I left my credit card there and that you wanted me to contact you. But I'm looking at my card right now."

"Can I get your name?" Joe asked, and before he even had a chance to gesture Vanessa was putting a pen in his hand.

"It's Marjorie McKenzie. I patronized your store just yesterday as part of a family outing."

"I remember. It was quite a group – took up the whole store." Joe put the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table so Vanessa could hear.

"Well, most of us," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"There was one man that pretended like he was a part of our group. It was the strangest thing. When we first entered the store he held the door for us and everything, so polite, but then he wouldn't leave us alone."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that you were bothered by a fellow patron while visiting our establishment, Ms. McKenzie," Joe said, shooting Vanessa a look.

"Oh, he was no real bother. It's not like he said much or stole anything from us, but he was never more than a few feet away from one of our members."

"Never?" Joe asked with a sinking feeling.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing him for a moment after I had gone up to pay. But it was less than a minute and then he appeared again out of nowhere."

"I hate to think that anyone made one of our dearest customers feel uncomfortable in any way," Joe said, laying on the charm. "Can you describe him to me so I can keep an eye out? I would hate for him to drive away your business."

"Oh, I wouldn't let a silly thing like that keep my from coming back the next time I'm in town," the woman said with a chuckle. "But if it helps, he was about average height with dark hair and eyes. Maybe around thirty-five years old."

"Hm," Joe said with a concerned voice while smirking at Vanessa. "That does seem to fit a lot of people. Is there anything more distinctive about him that you can remember?"

"Actually, yes!" she said, excited. "He had a tattoo on his forearm. It was of a strange symbol, like a an animal, but twisted up."

"Now that is actually incredibly helpful," Joe said as he wrote down what he said. "Thank you so much, Ms. McKenzie."

"Oh, please, call me Marjorie."

"Okay then, Marjorie." Vanessa outright laughed at that, then clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Glad to be of help. I would hate to hear of anything else bad happening to your wonderful little store."

"We're definitely quite fond of it. Now, I'm sure a wonderful woman such as yourself is very busy, so I'll let you get back to it. Thank you so much for your call."

"Of course," she said, then added, "Oh, wait! What about my credit card?"

"You know what? I'm looking at the card right now and it's actually for a different person. I'm terribly sorry to have bothered you over nothing."

"It's no bother at all. I don't often get to chat with charming young men. I may just have to call back tomorrow."

Joe grimaced while Vanessa held back another laugh. "Looking forward to it, Marjorie. Enjoy your day, now."

After they hung up, Joe immediately turned to Vanessa and said, "Remind me to block that number as soon as we wrap this whole thing up."

She could barely hear him though, as she was practically in a puddle on the floor of laughter-induced tears. "I can't even begin to tell you how amazing that was," she finally squeaked out.

Joe shrugged, finding himself smiling if for no other reason than enjoying seeing her face all lit up. "Frank makes fun of me for being the charming one, but I maintain that it is incredibly useful most of the time."

"I'd drink to that," Vanessa said, pulling herself together. "So what did we learn?"

"We got a more complete description, but the best part is the tattoo she mentioned."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Because the police keep records of the tattoos of anyone who's ever been arrested. Identifying a tattoo can be just as incriminating as a lot of other evidence."

Vanessa, still sitting on the floor in the space between the coffee table and the couch, leaned back against the table to look up at him. "So are we getting the police involved?"

"I don't see any reason not to," Joe shrugged. "They'll be able to combine this description with the one of the man that pushed you and hopefully come up with an actual suspect. I don't have the resources to be able to do that on my own. Especially without Frank."

"Why, what could Frank do?"

"Well, you know how I'm the charming one? He's the technological one. Let's just say that when Dad isn't looking we have a tendency to supplement our resources with the police databases."

Vanessa grinned and shook her head. "Incredible."

Joe flashed back to the conversation the two of them had had before about her not being a part of things. "So, are you okay with what I do? I mean, for a living? Because if it's too much for you to handle we can keep this strictly professional." The words practically burned as they came out, but it was important that she understood how serious he was.

"Are you kidding? I don't know if I'd want to be a full time member or anything, but I love that this is what you do. I think it's awesome."

"You're awesome." It sounded like a dumb comeback once he heard himself say it, but he completely meant it.

"So you used up all of your charm on the old lady…" Vanessa said sadly.

"No, I'm serious," Joe said with a laugh. "Not a lot of people are as understanding as you are about all of this. I've been relatively unscathed, but my brother and his girlfriend have both been burned because they cared about people who didn't get it."

"So you care, huh?" Vanessa said, getting up and stacking the receipts.

Joe stood and helped her, looking for an opening to get close to her again without pushing. "I thought we established that earlier. Wasn't that what that whole experiment was about? 'It's in his kiss' and all that?"

Vanessa looked thoughtful for a moment, taking his receipts and adding them to her pile. "Maybe. I'll let you know."

Joe groaned. "Really? That's it? What's it going to take for you to give me a chance?" He decided right then that he wasn't above begging if it meant that he had the opportunity to kiss her again sometime in the future. Even if it was the distant future.

Dropping all sense of distance, even though neither of them moved, Vanessa looked at him with her pale blue eyes. Really looked at him, as if she was seeing some deeper, hidden part of him.

"Okay."

"Okay? Okay what?" Joe asked, unwilling to assume and then be destroyed.

Vanessa rested her hands on her hips. "Okay, I'll go out with you."

Joe's whoop of celebration could probably have been heard downstairs in the store. "When, tonight?"

"No, not tonight," Vanessa said, smiling. "You're going to need more time than that to plan it."

Joe's anxiety level went up a notch, but it didn't even register compared to his excitement. "I'll call you, then."

"You better."

He considered going in for another kiss, but he really didn't want to push his luck and risk losing the new chance that she'd just given him. So instead he lifted his hand to her cheek, leaned in, and pressed his lips to her hairline. Without another word he slipped by her and out the door.

Vanessa stood there frozen for half a second before noticing something gold and shiny glinting from the floor.

"Wait!" she called after him and leaned down to scoop up the small object. "You forgot your... keys?"

But Joe was already gone.

* * *

**Hmmm... This could be interesting.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Back to Frank and Nancy! The end of this chapter is pushing the T limit a little... but not too much I think. Once it, well, gets going, there's no more mystery, so you can skip if you want. (Though why you'd want to is beyond me.. :) )**

**Reviewers!: Caranath, LazyPanther, Lady Emily, JackieJacks, max2013, bhar, zenfrodo**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a pair of Eurostep shoes and they are the best things ever. **

* * *

"Here's my in-office email," Ned said, watching the laptop screen over Frank's shoulder. "It's through GroupWise, so it can't be accessed except through my work computer."

"That doesn't seem very useful," Nancy mused.

"Well, it's to help with security," Ned said. "Though most of us actually use a different address for everything but the most official of communications."

"I'm checking the sent folder now," Frank said, clicking away.

"Isn't that a little obvious?" Ned asked skeptically.

"You'd be amazed with how easy it can be to catch someone sometimes. People do really dumb things."

"Especially criminals," Nancy agreed.

Ned shrugged and flagged a waiter before asking for a refill of his coffee. About the time the steaming mug was delivered Frank announced that all of Ned's current emails, but in and outboxes, were clear of anything incriminating.

"What if they did delete it?"

"I'm checking that next," he said around a bite of deli sandwich. His eyes hadn't moved from the screen since they'd settled in at the table.

"How?"

Frank shot Nancy a look that she instantly interpreted. "A lot of technical jargon that neither you nor I would understand," she said, diverting Ned's attention. "Why don't we leave him to it? He'll probably work faster if we stop asking him questions."

"Sure. So how long are you planning to be in River Heights?" Ned asked and took a sip of his coffee. He grimaced after swallowing.

"I'm not sure. Neither of us have any solid plans right now. Frank words for his dad so he has some freedom there."

"What about you? Aren't you still with the agency? Or did he get you to give that up?"

Nancy thought she heard a low growl from Frank, but his attention hadn't shifted away from his work so she ignored it. "No, of course not. I'm on temporary leave."

"How come?"

"Well, partly because I've earned a vacation, and partly to finish healing."

Ned's face was instantly alarmed. "Healing? From what?"

Nancy shrugged, hoping to downplay everything. She'd forgotten how crazy Ned could get about things like that. "It was no big deal. I was on a mission and I got caught. They got me out and there's no lasting damage. Nothing a little R and R won't fix." She didn't mention that the mission was in Bayport. Ned definitely wouldn't take the news that she got hurt while helping Frank well at all.

"And here I am dragging you back into it," he said, self-loathing creeping into his voice. "I really wish I could convince you to leave it alone. I can find another job."

"You've known me forever Ned. Hopefully you know me well enough to know that that will never happen. I just… can't."

Ned pushed his coffee mug on the table back and forth between his hands. He stared down into the black liquid, and Nancy wondered what he was actually seeing. Before she had a chance to decide if she should ask, Frank finally spoke again. His voice had an odd, forced tone to it.

"There was one message deleted from your account that looks suspicious."

Ned was instantly back to hovering behind Frank. "What does it say? Who's it to?"

Frank leaned forward, feeling uncomfortable with having Ned's head so close to his own. "It's to a random Gmail account, and all it says is that the product is almost ready. No sign off, no other details."

"So how does that help us?"

Frank shrugged. "It may not. But if you don't recall sending it, then it definitely means that someone else has been on your computer."

Nancy took a sip of her water. "This is a company email address, which probably gets monitored, right?"

"Probably," Ned said. "Before this I've never had a cause to wonder about it."

"That means that whoever sent this email from this account did it on purpose. They wanted to do something that would make you look suspicious, knowing that this email would be monitored."

"Then why isn't there anything else?" Frank said, running with her theory. "Where are the other emails?"

Nancy chewed on her straw for a second while she thought. "I'm thinking that this wasn't supposed to blow up like this. Whoever's been selling the formulas never intended for the scheme to be discovered. When did this email get sent?"

"Just under a week ago," Frank said after checking, then frowned. "That's strange. That would be after the formula had been sold to the other company."

"Exactly," Nancy said.

Frank was nodding. "So whoever sent this was tipped off somehow that a blowup was going to happen and did what they could to put the suspicion on someone else. Or in this case, on Ned."

"That's what I'm thinking," she confirmed.

"Makes sense," he agreed. "So any other communication would have been done through some other means. Either a different email address or a hard copy taken out through the doors."

"Not possible," Ned said, shaking his head. "You saw security down there. No goes in or out of that floor without being thoroughly searched."

"There are always places to hide things," Nancy said.

"Maybe, but I don't think that's how this happened. I just have a feeling."

"Okay," Frank said with another shrug. "We can follow your hunch and see where it goes. I've only started to scratch the surface on your computer."

"What's next?" Ned asked, suddenly looking very tired.

"Brower history, downloads, dates and times that files were opened," Frank rattled off. "And more if necessary."

"Why don't you go ahead and take us home?" Nancy suggested after seeing Ned's overwhelmed expression. "We can keep going through this at home."

"But don't you need me to know if something's important?" Ned argued, though his face told a different story.

"We have your number," Frank said before Nancy could. He was already shutting down his laptop and packing it away, more than ready to be done with her ex-boyfriend for the day. "We'll call if we have any questions or find anything that you should know about."

"If you're sure," he said, but he was putting on his jacket.

"Absolutely. Drop us off at home and then we'll keep at it."

By the time Frank and Nancy returned to her childhood home, darkness had fallen. They let themselves in and followed the delicious smells of dinner into the kitchen where Hannah was just pulling a glass dish out of the oven.

"Lasagna," she said with a smile, hoisting the pan.

"Dear Hannah," Carson said, coming down the stairs, "that smells absolutely heavenly."

Hannah threw a wink at Frank. "I remember it as one of the boy's favorites, so I absolutely had to make it while they're here."

"And you have no idea how much I appreciate it," Frank said, mouth already salivating. "Your lasagna is good enough to rival my own mother's."

"Well go on, all of you. Have a seat at the table and I'll bring it out." Hannah shooed them into the next room. The kitchen and breakfast nook was fine for the earlier meals of the day, but dinner had always been at the big wooden table in the dining room.

As the four of them sat down and tucked into their food, Nancy asked Carson how his work was going.

"You wouldn't be fishing for information, would you my dear daughter?" Carson asked with a twinkle.

Nancy took a sip of her water to conceal her smile. "Dad, I'm hurt that you would even think that."

"Forgive me," he said drily. "But there's not much to add. I've spent the last day going over the paperwork and checking facts. So far, it looks like Phillip Pharmaceuticals doesn't have much in the way of legal grounds for suing. They haven't shown proof that my client somehow stole it from them, even if that may be true."

"Don't worry," Nancy said confidently. "We're going to prove that someone sold them that formula, and that it wasn't Ned."

"I sincerely wish you good luck, and I hope that everything works out."

"Even if that means that you'll lose?" Frank asked.

"Well, no one likes to be a loser," Carson admitted, "but I think I could live with it if it meant that Ned wasn't being implicated."

"He'll be happy to hear that," Nancy said.

"I always did think of that boy like a son," Carson said absently, then cleared his throat when he realized how what he'd said could be taken. "It's just, he was always around here."

"It's okay, Mr. Drew," Frank said with a smile, even as thoughts were grating against each other inside his head. "I know that a lot of people figured that one day he would be part of your family. I'm sure it wasn't easy on you when they broke up."

"Well, it was certainly not like what Nancy went through," Carson said.

Frank nodded, quickly covering his frown. "But all the same, I get it. I just hope that one day you'll be able to think as fondly about me."

"Son," Carson said and fixed him with a look. "I have known your father since before you've been alive. I may not have had the same face time with you as I did with Ned when you all were growing up, but don't ever doubt your place at this table."

"Thank you, sir," Frank said and looked down, trying to reign in his relief. It was true what Carson said: their families had been friends forever. That didn't mean that being around Nancy's father didn't scare the hell out of him.

"Can we move on?" Nancy said, alerting the two men that she was still there. She was doing a good job of letting them get the conversation out of the way, but she wasn't exactly comfortable being in the room when it happened.

"Certainly. What would you like to talk about?"

"We were able to take a tour of Ned's office today," Frank suggested, scooping up a bite of lasagna on his fork.

The conversation continued around the same line, though none of them ever went into detail about their cases. They had enough respect for each other to not press for information that would give them the advantage, though Carson was the one to let the most information slip. As he said, after all, he did still care about Ned and wanted to see him taken care of.

By the time they'd all had dessert, Frank was barely keeping his eyes open. After they cleared their plates, they bid goodnight to the others and made their way up the old stairs.

"So it's a little after eight o'clock," Frank said through a yawn when they had closed the door to Nancy's room. He immediately pulled out his laptop and started it booting up. "I can do at least a couple more hours of sifting through Ned's work computer. Then if I need more time I can wake up early. I do my best thinking in the morning, anyway."

Nancy gently pulled the computer away from his lap, knowing how protective he was over it, and placed on a nearby nightstand. He was stretched out on the bed, leaning back against the padded headboard.

"What's going on?" he asked, surprised.

"I was about to ask you the same question," she said, kicking off her shoes and sitting next to him.

"What do you mean?"

Nancy sighed. "I know this can't be easy on you, being around Ned like this. Helping me help him."

"I'm fine, Nan. He doesn't deserved to get fired for something he didn't do."

She smiled to herself. It was just one of the reasons she loved him: he was so damn noble. "Yes, I know you feel that way. But don't think I missed that look at dinner."

Frank was about to protest further when he met her eyes. All arguments slipped away in a heavy breath. "Yeah, okay. He'll never be my favorite person in the world."

"No kidding," she said with a laugh.

"It's just, he still has a thing for you, Nancy." Frank looked her straight in the eyes.

She scoffed. "He does not."

"He does."

"Why would you think that?"

Frank thought of the crumpled picture still in his pants pocket and considered pulling in out before realizing that she'd probably be more mad at him than at Ned. "It's just a feeling. And I know I'm right."

"Even if he does, why does it matter?" Nancy asked, spreading her hands on the bed.

"Well, you didn't exactly end with a lot of closure."

Her irritation started to flare. "So you think I'd seek that out now?"

"Of course not," he said, trying to reign in his own normally-even temper. "But I'm not so sure about him."

Nancy took a deep breath, considering the man sitting next to her. He was so patient and giving. So intrinsically good. She didn't believe that Ned would do anything to get in the way of her relationship with Frank, but she couldn't fault Frank for feeling that way. And while she couldn't do anything about her ex, she could do something about the person with her now.

She slowly slid down until she was sitting on Frank's lap, straddling him. Her blood started to rush through her veins when she saw Frank's already deep brown eyes darken to almost black as his pupils dilated.

"What about Ned?" Frank asked, though she could tell that he had to force the words out.

Nancy leaned in until her mouth brushed his ear. "Right now I'm more worried about someone else."

Before he could say anything else, she moved her mouth across his strong jaw until she reached his mouth and kissed him forcefully. She'd been holding back all day from showing him affection because she didn't want to make things with Ned even more awkward, but she didn't want to, didn't _have_ to, anymore.

He hesitated for only half a second before his arms slid around her, pulling her in closer. He pressed his lips back against hers, unwilling to yield completely to her control. Her hands dragged up his chest and she desperately wished that there weren't clothes in the way. Frank knew what she wanted, though, because his arms left her body for long enough to tug his shirt over his head.

Nancy had to break away from his mouth for a moment to take him in. She never got over how completely beautiful his body was. His muscles were strong, his skin smooth. Fine dark hair below his navel emphasized just the right places before trailing into his pants. Even though she was still sitting on his lap, she leaned down and kissed his neck, traveling down until her lips found that broad chest. Her hands splayed against him, committing the feel of him to memory.

Frank, for his part, was just letting himself experience what she was doing to him. A very large part of him wanted to grab her, tear off her clothes and flip them over on the bed until he covered her, but another, momentarily stronger, part of him had to see where she was going with this. Had to let her be in control. Her small hands and soft lips were affecting him so completely that all he could do was sit there and let her explore him. His hands rested against her hips, occasionally squeezing when she touched a particularly sensitive spot.

Finally, his control broke. He grabbed her face and pulled it back up to his, kissing her with everything he had. Their mouths opened and he slid his tongue inside. A rush went through him when she slid her own back against him. Her fingers raked through his hair, creating tingles all over his scalp.

She bit his bottom lip, teasing him, loving that he was so passionate. The bottom of her pencil skirt had been pushed up and his hands dragged up her thighs until they came to rest on her hips.

Frank moved his mouth to the side of her neck, unbuttoning her blouse at the same time. Finally he was able to push the garment down her arms until he flung it away from them. Nancy closed her eyes, letting the rest of the world fall away, thinking only of this moment, this pleasure, this person.

* * *

"I love you," Frank later mumbled after they had collapsed against each other.

"You too," she said, breathless.

Finally they peeled away from each other. Nancy ran her fingers through her hair at a weak attempt of taming it. He finally kicked his pants all the way off, since neither of them had bothered with it before when there were more important things happening. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before heading to the bathroom. While he was gone Nancy also slipped off the rest of her clothes before pulling on her bathrobe.

When Frank came back out he pulled on his boxers and slipped into bed, eyes already half-closed.

"You know, I think I'll just get up twice as early," he said, turning on his side to face Nancy as she slid in next to him.

She laughed. "That's probably a good idea."

Frank flopped over onto his back and pulled the covers up to his chin, his face relaxing. Nancy was sad to see his body covered up, but she settled for snuggling against him. Running her fingers through his hair, she watched as he quickly succumbed to sleep, following shortly thereafter.

* * *

**I did it! Three days in a row! To be honest, the next chapter, 13, is probably my favorite in the whole story. Excited for you to read it!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry about the typos in the last chapter - I try to be more careful than that. Back to Joe. This chapter is short, but it needed to stop there. It just... did. **

**Reviewers!: Future Animator, bhar, max2013, Lady Emily, guest, SnowPrincess88, Caranath, Guest, zenfrodo, SC15, leyapearl, JackieJacks, Guest**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own three pin cushions: one magnetized and two tomato. **

* * *

Joe had just sat down to watch the big game with his father when the doorbell rang. He knew that he'd spent more time there than at his own place lately, but they had a full fridge. He was way too lazy to go grocery shopping. The only time he ever went was when Frank was going and asked if he wanted to tag along. It was so much easier just to head to his parents' house.

"Expecting someone?" he asked Fenton.

"Not that I know of," his father answered as he got up from the recliner. "I guess I'd better go find out who it is. Stay here."

Joe knew the protocol. They'd been less strict about it the older that they'd gotten, but when he was a kid there had been a strict rule that no one opened the door except Fenton unless they knew exactly who it would be. When your father is a detective with one of the best records in the state, there are always people out to get your friends and family. He'd learned that lesson sooner than most.

His hand, as it often did, absently felt his pants pocket for the small, misshapen lump when a surge of panic shot through him. It wasn't there. He stood up and plunged both hands into his pockets. Maybe he'd shifted it around without realizing it. No dice.

"Joe?" his father called.

"Yeah Dad, just a second," he answered. "Kind of dealing with something right now."

"It'll need to wait," Fenton said as he came back into the room. "You have a visitor at the door."

He groaned in frustration. "Who is it?"

"Just go find out." His father smiled, but he was too distracted to notice as he went charging past him into the foyer.

"What's so important?" he said as he turned the corner, but the end of his words dropped off when he saw who was standing there. "Vanessa. What are you doing here?"

She held up a small gold object and his heart froze. A red haze clouded his vision and he didn't care how irrational it was.

"Where the hell did you get those?" he asked, his voice deadly low.

Her eyes widened as she took in his rigid, angry posture. "They were upstairs."

"Did you take them when I wasn't looking?" Joe reached out and snatched them from her hand.

"No!" she protested.

"What, wanted to know why the poor Hardy boy is so damaged?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tears were starting to glisten in her eyes, but Joe either didn't notice or didn't care.

"You could have just asked, you know. I'm not so messed up that I can never talk about it. But these," he held them up, "these are mine. No one else ever touches them."

Vanessa's desperate, confused expression changed into something hard. She raised her chin and looked him in the eyes. "I told you, I don't know what you're talking about. I found them on the floor and when I finally had a chance I came straight here to give them back."

"Joe? Everything okay?"

Fenton's voice broke through to the two angry people who immediately took a step back from each other. He took in the scene in less than a second, noticing the melted keys in Joe's hand and the tears in her eyes.

"Vanessa, dear, why don't you go have some tea with Laura? I need to talk with my son."

She looked up at the distinguished man. It was hard to say no to him, but upon looking back at Joe, she didn't have much of a choice. "No, thank you. I think I'd better go."

"I insist," he said, guiding her back towards the kitchen.

Joe folded his arms and slumped back against the wall. Then, feeling antsy, he stuffed the keys back into his pocket and shoved his hands through his hair. The anger in his body was slowly starting to dissipate, leaving a deep, pervading sadness in its place. He hated that the tears that once filled Vanessa's eyes were beginning to dampen his own. He hadn't cried about it in years. It wasn't fair that everything was coming back up now.

"Joe." His dad saying his name temporarily broke him out of his funk.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," he said, grateful he was able to keep his voice from breaking.

Fenton opened the front door and stepped outside, waiting for his son to follow. They both sat on the front steps, arms resting on bent knees. "What happened?"

"I... I don't know. I saw Vanessa standing there, holding... her keys, and I just lost it. I accused her of all sorts of crazy things." Sticking his hands in his pockets, he felt the real culprit and barked out a sad laugh. "And it turns out I have a hole in my pocket. That's probably how they ended up on her floor. I am such a jerk."

"Sometimes," Fenton agreed, nudging his son. "But I think in this case she'll understand."

"But that would mean explaining everything to her."

"That's true."

Joe sat and picked at a frayed hole in the knee of his jeans. Everyone in his life that meant anything to him already knew about what had happened. He hadn't cared about any particular girl since to ever share the story. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever actually talked about it with anyone, other than the therapist his mother made him see for a couple of months.

"Dad, if I tell her..." he stopped, looked up at the moon, then tried again. "If I tell her what happens to the people I care about, she'll never come near me again."

"You still think it was your fault." It wasn't a question.

"It was my fault," Joe said tonelessly. "The bomb was meant for me. I was the one who made her angry and wouldn't go get the damn box out of the car."

Fenton sighed. "You're going to be living with this for your entire life. There's no way around it. But you will need to find a way to forgive yourself. I think Vanessa might be the person to help you do it."

"Dad." His voice was desperate. "I can't."

Fenton clapped his son on the back and stood up. "It's up to you. At the very least, you owe her an apology."

Joe ran a hand down his face. "I know. Just give me a minute to pull myself together, okay?"

"Sure thing, son." Fenton disappeared inside the house, leaving Joe alone on the front porch.

He sat and counted his breaths, hoping to slow down his still-angry heart. Vanessa was the only girl he'd ever cared about as much as Iola. He ruined things with her, not to mention got her killed, all because he couldn't fully commit to her. He'd never tried to have a real relationship since.

The door quietly clicked open once more and soft footsteps told him that someone was standing just to the side of him.

"If you can look past the idiot you were talking to a few minutes ago, I'd like you to sit down," he said, not looking at her.

"Are you done yelling?" she asked carefully. "Because otherwise I'd much rather just go home."

Joe laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Yeah, I'm done." He was slightly gratified when he heard more than saw her sit down into the place where his father had just been.

"So I guess something really set you off, huh?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

Joe finally turned to face her, looking her in the eyes. "Vanessa, I'm so sorry. I was a complete ass to yell at you like that, and I realize that nothing I say right now would make it better."

"Thank you for saying that," she said quietly. "I hated seeing you so upset."

It didn't escape his notice that she didn't exactly forgive him. "Yeah, well, feeling that way is no picnic either." He returned to picking at the hole in his jeans.

"I didn't take them," she said, more softly than before.

Joe hated that she felt like she still had to defend her actions when he was so clearly the wrong one. "Vanessa, I know. There's a stupid hole in my pocket. You did absolutely nothing to warrant my kneejerk reaction. You do not have to explain anything to me."

"Okay, then maybe you should do a little bit of explaining." Her tone wasn't accusatory in any way, but Joe's body still went on alert.

"What do you want to know?" he asked carefully.

Vanessa didn't say anything for a while. Finally she pulled a hand through her blond hair. "What were those?"

"Keys," Joe said without hesitating, because he knew that if he did, he'd never actually answer. "They were car keys."

"What happened to them?"

"They melted in an explosion. A car bomb, actually."

"Were you... were you in the car?"

Joe sighed, and muttered, "No, I wish."

She studied him, then nodded. "Oh. I see."

"What? What do you think you know?" he was starting to get angry again, so he took a couple of slow breaths. "Sorry. This is hard for me."

Vanessa paused only a moment before answering. "There was someone else in the car. Someone you cared about."

"Yep, that's pretty much it," Joe said. She looked away from him then, uncomfortable not with the subject matter but with his treatment of it. He sighed and turned away from her. "Look, it was a long time ago, and it's not a big deal."

She stood up and dusted off her jeans. "Joe, I'm not mad at you anymore, but that's obviously not true. Whatever happened is still very much a big deal."

He stood up too, disliking the imbalance of her looking down at him and saying those words. "So, what? I'm supposed to pour my heart out to you about the girl that I got killed? I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen."

Vanessa had recoiled at the word "killed." Joe was strangely satisfied at the sight. He'd finally managed to get through to her about how terrible he was. Which was why he was so completely flabbergasted when she reached out and touched his face.

"I'm so sorry for what you went through. What you're still going through. I won't ask you about it ever again." Her voice was sad but gentle. Then she pulled away and started down the steps to her car.

"Vanessa, wait," he called after her.

She turned around just as she reached the driver's side. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay Joe? We still have plenty to do to figure out what's going on at the store, and it'll give us both some time to get a little distance from this."

It was exactly what he thought he wanted to hear. She was leaving, he didn't have to talk anymore, and he'd still get to see her. He didn't know why, but it left him feeling more empty than he was before.

"Yeah, okay," he said, unsure of what else to do but agree. "I'll stop by tomorrow morning."

"Good. I'll see you then." Without anything further, she climbed into the car, started the engine and drove off.

Joe sat back down on the porch and stayed there for a long time. Eventually his mother came out with two cups of tea and handed him one. She was the third person to sit next to him on those steps that night, but she was the only one who didn't say anything. It was because of that that he allowed himself to lean his head down on her shoulder.

Laura wrapped her arms around her youngest son, and for the first time in years, he wept.


	14. Chapter 14

**You guys. I can't even begin to tell you how stressful the next two weeks are going to be for me. Any teachers out there? As a third year teacher I have to take the praxis PLT on Saturday... ugh. And that's only one facet of the stress. Anyway. I'll stop griping. :)**

**One thousand awesome points to the reviewers of Chapter 13: max2013, zenfrodo, bhar, Lady Emily, Guest, Caranath, Guest, Stork Hardy, JackieJacks, Guest, leyapearl, unobtrusivescribe, Guest, youremymelody94, Cleopatra894**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own dozens of study note cards.**

* * *

When Nancy awoke, the shower in the attached bathroom was already running. She stretched her arms out just to be sure, but all she felt was empty mattress.

She felt pleasantly rested – the combination of being in a familiar bed plus having Frank next to her the perfect recipe for deep sleep. Finally making herself move, she got up and pulled her robe tighter around herself.

She crossed the room until she reached the bathroom door and slipped inside. The room was filled with steam, creating a warm haze that hung in the air. She was suddenly very grateful that she shower had a glass door instead of a solid curtain. Frank's eyes were closed as he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. Nancy couldn't tear her gaze away from him – water streaming over his face and down his body. She thought she was about four seconds away from dying.

"You know, you could always join me."

Frank's voice caught her off guard, causing her to jump. His eyes were still closed but a smile curved his full lips.

"Oh, hi," she said, trying to think of something to say past the nude-Frank-induced fog in her brain.

"I'm almost done, but I wouldn't mind…"

Nancy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "As tempting as that is, we have a lot of work to do today. I worry that if I come in there that we wouldn't leave."

Frank laughed. "Oh, the water would run cold eventually." He gave his head a final rinse and wiped the water away from his face. "But you're probably right. Besides, I don't know if I've fully recovered from last night."

Nancy raised her eyebrows and smirked. "It doesn't look that way."

He glanced down and shrugged. "You're the one standing there and staring, you know."

"Can you blame me?" She handed him a towel as he slid open the door. She immensely saddened when he wrapped the towel around his waist, though her breathing finally slowly returned to normal.

"Yes," he said, leaning down to press a kiss on her lips. "Now, if things were reversed, on the other hand…" he trailed off, kissing her again, longer.

Summoning all her willpower, Nancy gently pushed her hands against his firm chest. "We have work to do."

Frank sighed heavily. "Fine. But I fully expect someone to reward me for being able to walk away right now."

"Later," she said with a grin, pushing him out the bathroom.

The fire in his eyes was all the answer she needed as he closed the door for her.

When Nancy came out of the bathroom, scrubbed clean and shaved to within an inch of her life, Frank was already tapping away at his computer. He had moved to the desk in the sunroom.

"Doesn't it make it hard to see the screen like that?" she asked, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Without taking his eyes away from the computer he turned his head and kissed her arm. "Are you kidding? Not with this screen. I could be in bright sunlight and it wouldn't matter."

"Impressive," she said, grinning at his nerdiness.

"I think so," he agreed, not getting the joke.

She came around and settled onto the arm of his chair. "Have you found anything?"

"Maybe. Definitely a lot of different data, but I haven't bothered to analyze anything yet. I figured we'd do that together."

"Okay, so fill me in."

"Well, after checking the browser history I found that there were small chunks of time that had been periodically deleted."

"Suspicious."

"Of course, so I was able to restore that history, finding that whoever was using the computer had created a new email address every single time, then deleted the account shortly thereafter."

Nancy deflated just a little. "But if the entire account is gone, it will be impossible to find out what was said."

"Maybe," Frank said, "maybe not. It would certainly be very difficult to do it from here, but you can believe I'll keep trying."

A plan started brewing in Nancy's mind. "Can you table that for a little bit and focus on the formula?"

"Why?" Frank asked, finally turning to look at her.

"I have an idea, but I need a little more information first." She got up and started pacing. Frank knew that to be what she did when she was doing her hardest thinking.

"Tell me what you need."

"See if you can find out when the formula files were accessed and if it lines up with the email times. We're going to need to connect everything as much as possible for this all to work out."

"You got it." Frank was already typing out a steady rhythm on the keyboard. "Ned was really uneasy about us accessing that file, but I convinced him that it was important."

Nancy nodded but didn't say anything, still pacing and working out her plan. The wooden floor was smooth and grooved beneath her feet. The previous owners of the house had allowed their children to use the room for roller skating forty years ago. The floor was the only indicator, still displaying the scars.

"Wait a second," Frank said, confused.

"What is it?" Nancy asked, stopping in her path.

"The file's gone."

Alarmed, she crossed over to see the screen. "What do you mean gone?"

"I mean, it's been deleted. There's no obvious evidence that that particular formula ever existed on this computer."

"That's either really good or really bad."

"Probably more bad, though," Frank said. "It means that Lanson can claim that Phillip Pharm never had the formula in the first place and therefore have no grounds for suing."

"Yeah, that's a problem. It might help with Ned's problem, but unless he's willing to countersue, it won't matter either way to the higher ups. They know that he had the formula, even if the evidence isn't there anymore. Can you dig out the original file?"

"Actually, it's already done. Whoever deleted it was in such a hurry that they didn't even bother to empty it from the trash can on the desktop."

"Seriously?" she asked, surprised.

Frank nodded. "Yeah. It looks like it was deleted yesterday, late afternoon."

"So after we were there," Nancy added. "We must have spooked somebody."

"Which is weird, because the assistants barely even looked at us. I didn't get the feeling that they were overly concerned that we were there."

"I know," she agreed. "There was no vibe around them that suggested they were anything other than lab techs."

Frank turned to look at her. "You're not going to like this, but what about Steve? He was so nervous I thought he might pass out."

Nancy sighed and folded her arms. "I know. I haven't said anything to Ned, but I was thinking the same thing. It's possible he was going along with our plan just to keep himself from looking suspicious."

He snorted. "Well, he wasn't very good at it."

"I have to go change," Nancy said, heading for the door. "Can you compile data on every time that file was accessed in the last month?"

Frank was already nodding. "And compare it to the dates and times of the email address. No problem."

Nancy smiled. They really did make the best team ever.

* * *

Joe was supposed to be heading over to the Flower Patch. At least, that's how he'd left things with Vanessa the night before, though he wasn't exactly sure how much of what they'd talked about he should believe.

He'd tried to tell her about Iola. He really, truly, had. The right words just wouldn't come out, and the ones that did were angry. For the first time in his life, he was starting to want to talk about it. He just really did not know how.

Joe had always had a special bond with his mother. Frank and Fenton were practically the same person, so he'd always been a momma's boy in contrast. She understood him better than anyone most of the time. He'd felt so weak, breaking down to her like that. He was a Hardy – the men of the family were strong, smart, and fast. He had been the exact opposite of that last night.

The two of them had sat on that porch for almost an hour, his mother's arms rocking him back and forth while he sobbed into her shoulder. He would have never been able to let it happen if it had been anyone other than her.

The strange thing was, he felt lighter than he had in ages. There was a pervading sadness that surrounded him, but for once it wasn't clogging him up deep inside. It was somewhere on the outside – breathing, melting away little by little. His father was right – it would never leave him entirely. He just had to find a way to accept it.

"Joe, can I bounce something off of you?"

He looked up from where he'd been staring down at his desk. Fenton's attention was still on the papers in his hand, but his face was tense with concentration.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking: The property management company was falsifying ownership records to be able to get these properties cheap. As far as I can tell, before they were "abandoned" all of these properties were non-profits – things like homeless shelters or free clinics or community centers."

"Remind me who the client is, again?" Joe asked, massaging his temples.

"One of my old friends at the bureau called asking for help. They've had a series of complaints, but they're so swamped that they haven't been able to look into it without a little more evidence. That's what we're here for."

"Who's paying us?"

"There's a rival property company that's on board, too. They feel like Total Property Management, the people we're looking into, have done things that are putting them out of business."

"So it's a turf war," Joe summarized.

"I suppose you could look at it like that."

"How were they able to get the properties abandoned?"

"That's the question, isn't it? You know one of the first rules of investigating…"

"Follow the money," Joe finished. "You think they paid these people off?"

"Makes sense. Either that, or they said they would and never actually followed through. Since it was all illegal the nonprofits would have no recourse." Fenton shuffled a couple of papers, searching for something.

"So what's our next step?"

"Track down the people in charge of the nonprofits." Fenton finally found a paper and passed it over to Joe. "I've only found one so far. Can you go talk to him?"

"Sure thing," he said and took the sheet of contact information from his father. "I'll get right on it."

"I know you're working on that thing for Vanessa, but this might be more important right now."

Joe smiled - a grim, sad look. "I think I'm going to be taking a step back from that, anyway. It's time that she turned everything over to the police."

Fenton nodded. "I agree, even though I know that's probably not what you want to hear."

He shrugged in response. "I think I'm learning that I've got too much going on right now to involve myself with anything else. She's better off with the professionals."

Joe didn't wait to hear what wise words his father would have to say to that. He was already grabbing his jacket and heading out the door.

Once he was inside his car flipped through his contacts until he found Vanessa. Hesitating for only half a second, he pushed the call button.

"Hello?"

He almost froze upon hearing her warm voice. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat and said, "Hey, Vanessa."

"What's up, Joe? Are you on your way over?"

"Um, actually I've got something I need to do for my dad. I don't know if I'll be able to make it today."

"Oh. Well, that's okay. What about tomorrow?" She sounded a little confused.

Joe pulled out into the main road, heading south towards the address on the paper. "I really don't think you should wait that long. Take the notes and the description of the tattoo to the police as soon as possible. Ask to talk to Con Riley – he's a good guy and will help you just as well as, if not better than, I would.

Vanessa didn't say anything for a while, though he heard some shuffling in the background. "Is this about last night?" she finally asked.

"Vanessa," he sighed. "No, it's not. I've just been neglecting my own work for too long, and I've got to start bringing in my share of the business. Besides, you've acquired more than enough for the police to go on."

"If you're sure," she said, and his heart ached a little when he heard the sad note in her voice.

"Yeah, definitely. It's better this way. Goodbye, Vanessa."

"'Bye Joe. I guess I'll see you later."

He didn't respond to that, instead pressing the button to end the call. He wasn't sure he could allow himself to think of that possibility.

* * *

Joe pulled up to the small building that shared the address as the location on his father's paper. A couple of homeless men milled around outside, shooting the breeze and smoking cigarettes.

After parking, he walked inside to find a well-lit, cheery room. A shelf of books sat along the wall and a couple of men sat in chairs watching an old television.

"Welcome," someone said, and Joe turned around to find an averaged sized man greeting him with a warm smile. "What brings you to our shelter?"

"I'm actually hoping to talk to someone in charge. Joe Hardy," he said, offering his hand.

"Sam," the other man said, shaking it. "And you're probably looking for me. Come, we can talk in my office."

Once inside the small room, Sam closed the door before settling behind a cluttered desk. "Sorry about the mess," he said. "Keeping things organized has never been my strong suit."

No kidding, Joe thought, but what he said was, "No worries. I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions."

"Absolutely," Sam said. "Who are you hoping to find? We do our best to keep records on anyone who comes through, but after the move we lost some things."

"Excuse me?" Joe asked, confused.

Sam leaned forward, his surprise mirroring Joe's. "Aren't you looking for someone who might be homeless? A relative, perhaps? That's usually how these conversations go."

"Not at this time," Joe said. "I'm actually here from Hardy and Sons Investigations. We've been tasked with finding out information about Total Property Management and discovered that you may have had a run-in with them."

He scowled. "You could say that. The owner, Tom Christopher, is a sorry excuse for a human being."

"What did you expect? The man has two first names," Joe quipped, earning a smile from the other man.

Sam pushed up his sleeves and folded his arms. "What do you want to know? I'm an open book."

"Well, there have been complaints that TPM is falsely pushing people off of their properties and then selling them for a profit. Is that sounding familiar?"

His face darkened as Joe spoke. "We were running a shelter a few towns away, just barely getting off the ground. Some men came by and said that we were on their land, that we needed to leave. I tried to tell them that we were renting the space fair and square, but TPM disputed it. They kicked us out, saying that the property deed had fallen into their hands. I tried to get a lawyer to look into it, but I was told that everything that had happened was legal."

Joe shook his head. "I'm sorry, that's terrible. Were you renting from TPM, then?"

"No, we weren't. But somehow they acquired the land and forced us to leave. The offered us money, but it certainly wasn't much."

"Do you have any proof of any of this?"

"Not currently," Sam said. "Believe me, I'm working on it."

"How?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?" he said, though he was already standing up and heading for the door.

"I guess not," Joe said, wondering why the man's demeanor had changed so drastically. "Can I call if I think of any other questions?"

"Certainly. Here's my card. It has both my personal cell phone and contact information for the shelter on it."

"I'll be sure to give you a call. And please, do the same if you think of anything useful. We believe that you're not the only people TPM have done this to and we're hoping to bring them down."

"If only I believed that that would work," Sam said sadly, running a hand through his dark hair and then holding open the door. "I trust you can see yourself out."


	15. Chapter 15

Three week haitus... finally back. The good news is my life is pretty much back to normal levels of crazy.

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a set of sidewalk chalk.

* * *

"Nancy, I really can't believe that I'm actually talking to you face to face."

Bess and Nancy were sitting in a coffee shop a few blocks away from the house. "I know, Bess, and I'm sorry. Things have just been a little crazier than I expected."

Bess rolled her eyes. "Things are always crazy with you. You're just lucky that I understand and love you anyway."

"I know. I'm the luckiest." Nancy leaned over and gave her best friend a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"You keep saying that."

"I keep meaning it."

Bess sighed. "And you didn't even bring Frank along as a peace offering."

She laughed, not feeling threatened in the slightest by her friend's boy obsession. "He has a lot of work to do."

"Oh yeah, the Ned thing?"

"Exactly," Nancy confirmed. "He's really gone the extra mile, especially considering it's Ned."

"Nancy," Bess said, giving her friend a look. "It's not like he's doing it for Ned."

"Well..." she hedged.

"Duh! He's doing it for you! You can't possibly believe that if you were no way involved that he'd be doing it out of the goodness of his heart."

"Frank's a good person," Nancy protested, though weakly.

Bess snorted. "Not that good. He's never really liked Ned. I'm surprised it hasn't come to blows between them yet." Her face lit up. "Wait, it hasn't, has it?"

"No, of course not! Frank isn't exactly the fighting type."

"Okay," Bess said, raising her eyebrows and taking a sip of her latte.

"What's that look for?"

"It's true, Frank is quite possibly one of the most even-keel people I've ever known. Definitely a sharp contrast to that beautiful brother of his…" Bess trailed off, eyes glazing over.

"Bess," Nancy said, getting her attention. "Back to me."

She shook her head. "Sorry. Anyway. Frank is certainly a calm person. That is, except for when you and Ned are involved."

Nancy frowned at her small, blond friend. She knew that they didn't exactly get along, but she'd never seen them actually fight.

"I never told you this before, but remember that time that we were all at that ski resort and you and Frank were trapped?"

Nancy's face turned pink remembering that case. It was the very first time that she and Frank had ever kissed. Granted, they thought they were dying, but it was the moment where she realized that if Ned wasn't in the picture, Frank definitely would have been.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, unwilling to say any of that out loud.

"Well, when you were off getting warm Ned and Frank kind of had it out."

"What?" Nancy exclaimed. "About what? Why did no one ever tell me?"

"I think the answer to both of those questions is pretty obvious, so I won't even bother. But Ned was angry that you and Frank had spent so much time together, and something had definitely changed between the two of you. He went on some rant about how mysteries were ruining your relationship. I swear I saw Frank clenching his fists, and it was only Joe pulling him back that kept him from slugging him."

Nancy covered her face with her hands. "Oh my gosh. I can't believe I never knew any of this."

"They came to some agreement formed out of manly grunts and the rest of us decided that it would be better just to forget it ever happened. You were with Ned, and Frank – "

"Was with Callie," Nancy finished. "I remember."

That had practically been her and Frank's mantra the entire time they were teenagers. Anytime they had even hinted at getting closer to each other one of them always reminded the other of that fact.

"Anyway," Bess said. "My entire point is that that boy must really love you. He really dislikes Ned, and for him to be doing any of this is a testament to how much discomfort he's willing to endure to make you happy. And considering that what's making you happy is helping your ex-boyfriend, then…"

"Then he's really a saint," Nancy moaned. "Am I a terribly selfish person?"

"In general? Absolutely not. When it comes to relationships? Maybe a little. It wouldn't hurt to reassure Frank that he's the one you care the most about right now. I mean, I'm just an outsider, but from everything you've told me about this case it's kind of looking the opposite right now."

"Well, I kind of reassured him last night…" she said without thinking about what she was actually saying.

"Wow, that was a bit of an over share," Bess laughed, "especially for you."

Nancy blushed. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."

"I know. So tell me, was it good?"

Her cheeks darkened, just remembering. "Oh, Bess, it's always good."

Bess sighed, jealous of her friend's good fortune. "Better or worse than Ned?"

"Bess!" Nancy exclaimed, though she was grinning. "My experiences with Ned will always be special because they were all of my firsts, but…"

"But?" Bess prompted.

"But he and I were never this… passionate," she sighed. "Frank, he makes my blood burn and my skin tingle. It was always nice with Ned, but it was never like that."

"Well, you have had practically an entire lifetime of build up," Bess said.

"True. And believe me, it's paying off. I'm actually kind of glad that we had other experiences before being together, because it feels like we're two mature adults instead of fumbling kids."

"Makes sense," Bess agreed. "Now we just need to find one of those for me. Is Joe still seeing that girl?"

"Last time Frank talked to him he was definitely still pursuing her. It sounded like he'd gotten himself roped into some case involving her store."

"It's not fair," she declared wistfully.

"You'll find someone," Nancy said confidently.

Bess grumbled, "Easy for you to say. Anyway, what can I do to help? The sooner you finish all of this us the sooner we get to have a girls' night."

"Well actually, I do have this plan…"

Bess smiled. "I can't wait."

* * *

Joe was on his way back from talking to Sam when he ran drove past the Flower Patch. Through the front window he could see Vanessa talking with some customers. Sadness threatened to well up inside of him, but he shoved it back down where it belonged. Spending time with her wouldn't do any of them any good, even though his lips tingled as he remembered their kiss.

His fingers itched, wanting to turn the car and park. Deciding against it, he pushed against the accelerator a little harder so that he cleared the store faster than normal.

Suddenly red and blue lights filled his rearview mirror.

"You have got to be kidding me," he groaned, signaling and then pulling over to the side of the road.  
Joe rolled down his window as the officer approached, already fishing around in the glove compartment for his registration.

"Well, well, what have we here?" The officer said, leaning down to look through Joe's window.

"Hello, Officer Jackson," Joe said as pleasantly as possible. "How kind of you to pull me over just so we could catch up."

The young officer snorted. They had worked on the same case involving two dead men and a drug ring not too long before. Neither of them felt any particular sense of friendship or loyalty, but there was perhaps a mutual respect between the two.

"Not exactly, Joe. Do you know how fast you were going just now?"

"Too fast, probably," Joe said, copping to it.

"You got that right. The speed limit's only twenty miles an hour down this stretch of downtown and you were pushing forty."

Joe swore under his breath and closed his eyes. Twenty over meant a fairly sizeable ticket. Not to mention it looked bad when private investigators had any sort of record.

"What was the hurry?" the younger boy asked, curious. "Working on some case?"

Joe's eyes popped open. If he played this just right, then maybe… "Actually, yes. I'm currently working on two different cases right now. Just coming from one and going to the other." It was kind of a lie, but close enough.

"Anything I can do to help?" Jackson leaned down and rested his arms on the open window. "You know I can pull through for you."

"Actually, there is," Joe said conspiratorially. "Did a blond girl come in this morning to report some harassment?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. I've been on patrol, but no one mentioned it when I stopped in a little bit ago."

Joe frowned. He had known she wouldn't do it. "Well, you know that break in that happened at the Flower Patch the other night? There may be more to it than a simple smash and grab job."

"How so?"

"One of the owners has been finding threatening notes, and we're pretty sure we have an identifying mark that you could look up."

Jackson straightened. "Sure thing. Right away. Tell her to come into the station and we'll take care of it."

"She won't," Joe said, shaking his head. "And I can't take her because I've got something else I've got to deal with. You're going to have to go into the store and ask her about it. But don't worry, one look at your badge and she'll crumble like an old cookie."

"I'll head over right away," he said, already backing away.

"You're the best, Officer Jackson," Joe said, hoping he wasn't laying it on too thick. "Be sure to ask for Vanessa. She's the one with all of the information."

He couldn't help laughing as the police cruiser pulled away from behind him and flipped a U-turn, heading towards the flower patch. Not only had he gotten out of an expensive speeding ticket, he'd ensured that Vanessa's case would be dealt with by someone who's at least marginally afraid of him. It was turning out to be a good day after all.

* * *

"How's Bess doing?"

Nancy chucked her purse onto the bed and turned to Frank, still sitting at the desk in the sunroom. His legs were now stretched out over one of the arms of the chair, though.

"She's good. Angry with me, of course, but good. Find anything?"

"Actually, yes. More than I expected."

Nancy pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. On the computer screen was a spreadsheet, listing a bunch of dates and times in rows and columns.

"Lay it on me," she said.

"Well, this particular file only lines up as being accessed at the same time as one of the email addresses one time," Frank started.

"Well, I guess that's all you'd need," Nancy said.

"True. So I got to thinking, why all the other email addresses? I mean, at least a couple of them could have been communicating about this particular exchange, but certainly not all. So then I started looking at some other files. Remember how Ned said that it may not have been the first time that a formula's been leaked? Well, I may have found evidence, shaky though it is, that he was right."

"Email address times line up with other file access times?" Nancy suggested.

"You got it."

"So what does this mean? Can we use anything you've found so far to prove it?"

Frank shook his head. "We don't have the actual emails, and we don't know who they were being sent to. Without that, legally speaking, we've got nothing."

Nancy was already nodding. "That's kind of what I figured. So I started thinking about this plan…"

"Nancy," Frank said with a low voice.

"No, hear me out. It's not dangerous. At least, it shouldn't be. What would you need to be able to prove any of this?"

"Well, I'd need to be able to access the other side of this conversation – who they were communicating with and what the emails said."

"That's what I thought. Would another back door program do it?"

Frank thought about it while he massaged his stiff neck. "Maybe. But it would have to be on the exact right computer of whoever it was, and we don't know that. The only other option would be…"

"If we put it on the head IT guy's computer," Nancy finished. "Right?"

"Yeah, that would probably do it. He should have access to any computer on the network from the safety of his own desktop."

"We can do that."

"I don't think I want to know," Frank muttered.

"Ned is going to countersue," she said, sitting back down in her chair. "Well, at least he's going to make Lanson think that he is. Bess and I are going to be his legal counsel, which should get all of us through the door."

"Why do you need Bess? Wouldn't it be better if I was there?"

"Well, in an ideal world, absolutely yes. But I don't think the IT guy would be as happy to see you." Nancy patted his hand with a smirk. "Sorry."

"So then what?" Frank said, not allowing himself to break a smile until he heard the rest of the plan.

"Ned and I will go meet with the Lanson lawyers, while Bess will go find the IT department. It should be easy enough for her to sweet talk the head guy into showing her around the place and using his computer. Dad let it slip last night that he seems to be a pretty lonely guy. Bess is perfect for that. Then we'll all meet up again on the way out."

"Nancy, aren't you forgetting something?" Frank said, one piece of her plan making him uncomfortable.

She thought for a second, ticking through what she had said. "No, I don't think so."

"Your father is the lawyer for Lanson. I doubt he'd be thrilled about this."

Nancy waved her hand. "He's only their lawyer for the thing involving Phillip Pharmaceuticals. He's not even scheduled to be in their building today. He's got some meeting at a club."

Frank still felt uneasy. "If you're sure. This whole thing seems a little… sketchy."

"It's about as well thought-out as any of our other plans," she laughed.

"Yeah, and look how well those turned out." He gently ran a hand across one of the faint scars on her arms. "Both of us have had hospital stays."

Nancy caught his hand with her own and squeezed. "It'll be okay, Frank. Trust me."

"Always, Nancy Drew," he said with a sigh, bringing their joined hands up for a kiss.

* * *

Joe and his father had just finished strategizing what to do next with Sam when their office door burst open. He almost dropped his sandwich he was so startled.

"Joseph Hardy, I cannot believe you did that!" Vanessa stomped inside until she was standing right in front of him, staring down with narrowed eyes.

"Um," he started, but Vanessa wasn't finished.

"First you completely blow me off without so much as a goodbye, then you send the police to my house? How in the world did that seem like a good idea?"

Joe saw his father's eyebrows raise when she said that part about the police. "I think I'll leave you two to it," he said, wiping his mouth and setting down his own sandwich. Within seconds he had slipped out the door, leaving Joe facing off with a very angry woman by himself.

"Vanessa," Joe said carefully. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"I'd rather not."

"Are you sure? Dad's chair is really quite comfortable. Or heck, I'll take it and you can have mine."

Instead of answering with words right away a glare was effective in shutting him up. "I said I'd rather not. And you never answered my question. What were you thinking?"

Joe stood and leaned against the desk with his arms folded. "I was thinking that you said you'd take what we'd found to police, but you didn't. Every day you wait they'll be less able to help."

"I thought that's what you were for," Vanessa said quietly, though anger still burned in her eyes.

Joe's own eyes were pleading. "Vanessa, you do not want to get tangled up with me and my family. Nothing good ever comes of it. To be honest, I should have told you to go to the police right from the start."

"Then why didn't you?"

He looked away and sighed. "I wanted an excuse to get close to you. It was stupid and selfish, I know, but there it is. You weren't responding to my… advances and I really wanted to take you out. Then this whole thing happened. I'm sorry for pressing the advantage and not encouraging you to go straight to the police like I should have."

"That's how you really feel?"

"Yes, I do." It was a lie, but there was enough truth in it to come out sounding real.

All of the wind went out of her sails, visibly deflating her body. "Okay, then I guess I have to believe you. I'm sorry I barged in here like this."

"Hey, don't be sorry," he said, fingers tingling with the need to reach out and reassure her. "I deserved it."

"Yeah," she said with a sad laugh. "Unfortunately that's true. Well, maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe," he said, showing her to the door. "Good luck with everything, and if you ever need it, don't hesitate to call for help."

"Sure," she said as she climbed into her car.

Unfortunately, neither of them believed the other meant it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy Weekend! (Though it's almost over...) **

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* * *

Nancy, Frank, Bess, and Ned climbed out of Ned's car and stared up at the giant building. It had only taken a short amount of time to get everyone together and explain the final plan, and they were all itching to get to work.

"This building makes mine look like a one bedroom apartment," Ned said, taking in the expanse.

"Kind of," Frank agreed. "Are you guys sure you don't want me to come?"

"We can't risk getting you on both sets of security cameras when two computers are compromised," Nancy said. "You know that."

"I know, but I still hate not being a part of this." He said, reaching up to straighten her collar.

Bess rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "We'll be fine. After all, you made me practice placing the program ten times. I could probably do it with my eyes closed."

"Good," Frank said seriously. "You'll probably have to do it without actually looking and drawing attention to yourself. You should be successful with your eyes closed for this to work."

"Woah, relax," Bess said. "It'll all work out. I promise."

"I'll be right here in the car listening in," Frank said. "Everyone have their coms in?"

"I don't," Ned grumbled.

Frank had to take a breath before answering. "We've been over this. You will be with Nancy the whole time, and it's more important for me to be in contact with her. We're lucky she had any coms with her as it is."

"Sure, of course," Ned said, chastised though still annoyed.

Nancy leaned up and pressed her lips to Frank's smooth cheek, leaving behind a smudge. Wiping it off with her thumb, she smiled. "See you on the other side."

"You better," he said. "Now get going and give them hell."

* * *

Within minutes the three of them were inside the building and past security. A member of Lanson's legal team named Mr. Kirkham came down to greet them as soon as Nancy put up a stink about suing. She knew better than most that Ned would have no grounds in which to win anything from them, but all they really needed was a good distraction so Bess could do her job.

They rode the elevator up to the fourth floor of the building where Mr. Kirkham requested that they follow him. He was an older gentleman hair almost as white as snow. Nancy was no fool, though. She knew that his eyes, and the brain behind them, were sharper than most.

Nancy shot Bess a look and an almost imperceptible nod, signaling that she should stay on the elevator.

When Bess didn't get out with the rest of them, Mr. Kirkham turned to her and asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"Who's she?" Nancy asked, her tone bordering on snide.

A look of confusion briefly flickered across his face before it was chased away by stoicism. "I thought she was with you."

"I have never seen this girl before in my life. I was told that these proceedings would occur in a closed-door meeting." Nancy refused to back down, though she knew that Bess was probably having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"She's right," Bess finally said. "I am on my way to the IT department for a meeting of my own."

"Then why did you go past the third floor?" He asked calmly, though a hint of suspicion colored his tone.

"You looked like you were in hurry," she emphasized. "I didn't want to hold you up."

"Well, that was actually very considerate. And yes, we are in hurry. Come along, Miss..."

"Hardy," Nancy filled in quickly. She ignored the sight of Ned visibly blanching and Bess's wide eyes. It was the first name she'd thought of.

"Yes, okay then, Miss Hardy. You and Mr. Nickerson can follow me this way." He started walking down the office hallway without so much as looking back. He was a man with enough power to know that there was no doubt they would follow.

"Good luck," Nancy whispered to Bess, barely making a sound. She pushed Ned in front of her, hurrying them both along to match Mr. Kirkham's fast pace.

"That was... interesting," Frank said in her ear, a laugh in his voice. "I had no idea we'd gotten that serious."

"Come along, sir, we wouldn't want to be distracted, would we?" She said, prodding Ned a little, though she knew Frank would understand the words were for him. He only laughed again.

They were led into a conference room with a long table and a row of chairs and were told to sit anywhere that they'd like. Nancy chose to sit at the head of the table, even though that wouldn't make actual negotiations very easy. It was a good thing she didn't plan to actually do any negotiating. Mr. Kirkham was forced to sit to her left after Ned had claimed the seat to her right.

"Now, please tell me what we at Lanson can do for your client, Miss Hardy," he said with hands folded and resting on the table.

Nancy leaned forward and took a deep breath. For now, stalling with the goal. She just had to BS long enough for Bess to accomplish the goal.

"Just let me find a place to start."

"Okay Bess, you're doing great," Frank said in her ear. She had just pushed the button for floor three. That was definitely one good thing that came out of that confrontation with the lawyer. At least it saved time to know which floor she should be heading to.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be. You've got this." His voice was warm and reassuring. She had never had feelings for Frank, but she still kind of envied Nancy for her relationship with someone so kind.

"I do. I've got this." She said it partially to herself, hoping to convince her heart to slow down.

Just as the doors started to close, a hand shot between them and stopped their progress. A tall blond woman stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. When she saw that Bess was already going to three, she frowned.

"I know you can't say much," Frank went on, distracting Bess from the other woman, "so if you get in a bind, remember the safe words. Saying that you're tired means that you need help getting out of there. Saying that everything seems so interesting tells me that you need a reminder on what to do once you're inside."

"Okay, I remember," she said just as the elevator dinged, telling her that she had arrived at floor three. "Wish me luck."

"Um, good luck?" the blond woman said, confused, but Bess ignored her.

"You don't need it," Frank said confidently, "but good luck anyway."

Bess took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway, leaving the other woman behind. It looked identical to the one on the floor above - tile floor and abstract art. It was a little cold feeling, she thought. To her relief, there was one of those handy floor maps right next to the elevator, telling her which department was where. It took her no time at all to figure out where she should be heading.

She smoothed her pencil skirt and blazer and walked into the IT office like she belonged there. There were several cubicles with younger guys sitting at computers, typing away. It took a while before someone actually noticed she was there. It burned her just a little that no one witnessed her spectacular entrance.

"Oh. Um, hi," one of the guys said when he looked up. "What are you doing here?"

Okay, so maybe these guys don't get out much, she thought to herself. It would explain their lack of manners.

"I have a meeting with the head of the department. He should be expecting me." It was a lie, but she knew that any amount of confidence would probably scare any of the men into doing her bidding. No matter that they easily towered over her petite frame. She'd long since figured out how to make the most of her size.

"Well, there's nothing on the schedule," a second guy said. She noticed with some chagrin that she'd gained the attention of every person in the room, and they were all staring. She chose to use it to her advantage and cocked a hip.

"Please just be a dear and go get him. Thanks."

Bess saw an empty chair and longed to sit and rest her aching feet - she didn't care what people said, heels were uncomfortable unless you had numb feet, even if they were oh-so-sexy - but she knew that she would lose her already-minimal position of power. The guy who had first spoken to her finally got out of his chair and knocked on a door that said restricted.

"What?" a voice called through the door.

"Sorry, boss, there's a girl here who claims that she has a meeting with you?"

The door flung open. "What?" the same voice asked, though this time Bess could see that it was attached to a tall, blond man in his late twenties.

"Um, this girl's here to see you," he gestured weakly at Bess.

The man looked her over, and though he wasn't necessarily checking her out, he was definitely sizing her up. "I don't remember hearing anything about that."

Bess strode over to him. "People keep saying that, but you can take it up with the people downstairs. Is this your office? Thanks." She didn't even pause before ducking inside the door to the restricted room. She heard him briefly protest before sighing.

"You're not supposed to be in here," he said after following her through the door, arms folded.

Bess was already sitting in his office desk, one smooth leg crossed over the other. She shrugged as if she couldn't care less where she was or was not supposed to be. "Too late."

He sighed again and ran a hand through hair in desperate need of a trim. "Then what do you want? You haven't even told me who you are."

"Have a seat," she said, gesturing to the much less comfy chair a few feet away. "And my name is Bess, by the way."

"Bess is it? How kind of you to offer me a chair in my own office. My name is Chase." He didn't bother offering her a hand to shake. "Now what is it that you need from me?"

"Well," Bess said, launching into her cover story. She was a little dismayed that he seemed unaffected by her charm, though she had yet to put it all out there. "I am here conducting interviews on the inner workings of the IT department for major businesses. You may have heard of the magazine I write for, ComputerWorld?"

As she finished her shpeal, his mouth fell open just a little bit. He waved a hand over to a stack of magazines, the top of which just happened to be a copy of ComputerWorld.

"I wasn't aware that they had any women on their writing staff," he said, still looking at her with a little bit of awe. He didn't notice that she had been feeling around with her foot for the computer tower that attached to the monitor on his desk.

"Oh, I'm sure if you looked at the publication pages you'd see my name listed. Go ahead and do it." She took advantage of his temporary distraction to reach down and locate the USB port before swiftly plugging in the tiny drive Frank had hidden in her shoe. She prayed that the computer wouldn't make any sound in acknowledgement, and to her relief, it must have been on mute.

"Nope, I don't see you anywhere," Chase said, head still buried in the magazine.

"What month is that issue from?" Bess asked. "Ah, last March. I was travelling on business when they were putting together that issue and didn't have any contributions, unfortunately."

Chase shrugged, the answer seeming to satisfy him. He turned his gaze back to her with a new expression on his face. She smiled, glad to be back in familiar territory.

"So what do you want to know?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm hoping to enter all of this information right into my email account so I don't get anything wrong. If it's okay with you I'm going to go ahead and log in on your computer."

"Um, actually," he started, holding out his hand, but she was already in the process of doing it.

"Don't worry," she said, turning to him with a grin on her face. She stretched one high-heeled foot in his direction, playfully holding him off. She was pretty sure he gulped when he looked down the length of her leg. "I do know my way around computers. I promise not to damage anything."

He didn't look terribly reassured, but he did sit back down in the chair. Bess turned the flat screen away from him and shot him another grin. "I can't have you see what I'm writing, now can I?"

"I guess not. I don't know, I've never done one of these before." He bounced his knee up and down as he watched her.

"You're doing so incredibly great, Bess," Frank said as she was pretending to log onto her email account. "Let me know if you need help."

She knew she couldn't really answer, but it calmed her nerves to hear his support. It wasn't easy, but somehow she managed to ask questions and plant Frank's secret program at the same time. Chase seemed all too happy to go on about the frustrations of working for a large corporation. It only took a handful of probing questions to get him going. He seemed to be overworked and under-appreciated by his boss and women, both. When she'd finally planted the program, she quickly went and logged into a fake email address so it would be in the history if he happened to check. As fast as her fingers would go, she tried to abbreviate everything she remembered him saying.

"Oh come on," he finally said, coming towards her. "Do I really not get to see what you're writing? That doesn't seem fair." Bess's heart began to race as fast as her fingers as she tried to make up for lost time. He leaned close to her back and looked at the screen, causing her throat to tighten up with nerves.

"You know," he said, pointing to something. "That's not a very good quotation. Can I change what I said?"

Relief coursed through her. "Of course. Go ahead."

After revising his statement, he told her that it was time he get back to work. He was practically shooing her out of the chair as she logged out.

"The drive, Bess," Frank reminded her quickly. Her eyes widened for a second, knowing that if Chase found it they'd all be discovered for sure.

"Oh, give me a minute, would you?" she said with a smile to the anxious man. "I have something in my shoe."

As fast as she could she leaned down and blocked his view with her body. It didn't hurt that he was then preoccupied with a different view. She pretended to adjust her shoe with one hand and ripped the drive out of the computer with the other. She knew that if Frank had seen her he'd be wincing, but she couldn't bring herself to care just then.

"Fine, fine. I'm going," she finally said, getting up and brushing by Chase on the way to the door. "It was nice talking to you. Look for the article in a couple of months."

He sat down at the computer and nodded at her. She was almost through the door when she heard him say, "Wait, Bess?"

"Yeah?" she squeaked out, hoping she didn't sound flustered.

He handed her a piece of paper with a smile. "Here's my card if you think of any more questions."

Beth took the card and then slipped out the door, closing it behind her. She had to fight the temptation to lean back against it and let out a huge breath. As it was, she still had to get out of there. She had no idea how Nancy and Ned were doing. Nodding as regally as possible to the men at the cubicles, she sailed out the door and down the hall.

Once she was in the elevator, she whispered, "Frank, I did it. Tell Nancy to get moving."

"Will do. Good work, Bess."

Her pounding heart was the only response she had.

* * *

**Ah, the Bess Marvin Experience, as Caranath said... :) **


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for being a few days late - birthdays will do that :) Joe's realization in this chapter may anger some people. I'm sorry in advance, but I stand by it. **

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own 119 balloons.**

* * *

One floor up, Nancy had caused poor Mr. Kirkham to turn a deep shade of red.

"You've been going on for twenty minutes, Miss Hardy, and I still have yet to hear anything remotely feasible as to why your client should have any reason to sue us!" he finally exclaimed. "So I'll ask you again, what exactly are you hoping to achieve here?"

Nancy folded her hands, preparing herself to launch into another long speech, when Frank gave her the all clear. "Actually," she said quickly, "I can see that going any further will be pointless. You can expect to hear from me again."

She started to stand up when the door opened. She froze when she heard the voice, and Ned shot her a wide-eyed look. "Everything okay in here? I thought I heard shouting."

Slowly, knowing what she was about to see, Nancy turned around to see her father standing in the doorway. To his credit he only barely flinched when he saw the two of them sitting with Mr. Kirkham, who stood up and shook his hand.

"These two were just on their way out," he said, turning to them with steel in his eyes. "They were trying to make some case of liability, but it was obviously a mistake."

Carson looked at his daughter. "Yes, I think this whole venture was probably not in the best of taste. Perhaps you should come back some other day."

Nancy and Ned hastily stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Kirkham, for your time. Expect a letter by the end of the week. Good to see you, sir," she said hastily to her father.

"Can't say I'm looking forward to it. I believe you can see your way out, Miss Hardy?"

Carson suddenly coughed as if he had choked on a drink. "I'm sorry," he said when he could breathe again. "I'll see them out."

"All the better," Mr. Kirkham said and swept out of the room.

Once he was gone, Nancy's father turned to them, a mixture of anxiety and anger on his face. "I trust there is a very good reason for this, but for now I'll settle with getting you out of here safely. Come on, quickly."

Within minutes they were stepping out of the main doors. Nancy was relieved to see that Bess was reading a magazine a few feet away from them, though Carson's face only darkened.

"Safe trip home," he said before disappearing back inside.

Nancy sighed, deflated, as they joined Bess. The three of them walked down the block until they reached Frank. Immediately he wrapped her into a hug.

"You were amazing," he said to her, then pulled back. "All of you were."

"Did it work?" Bess asked. "Did I do everything right?"

Frank's grin split his face. "It's already up and running. Since it's an administrator's computer it will take a lot longer to sift through, but we're definitely in."

Bess let out a squeal of victory and hugged him. "I can't believe I did that!"

He laughed and pulled away. "I can. I knew you had it in you. Now what say we get out of here before security puts everything together?"

* * *

The four of them sat in the living room at Nancy's house, waiting for Frank to come up with anything useful. Nancy was in the kitchen getting drinks when his phone rang. Unwilling to take his eyes of his screen for even a few minutes to answer the phone, he asked Bess to get it.

"Are you sure?" She asked picking up the fancy phone.

"Of course," he said. "It's just Joe. He'd probably rather talk to you than me anyway."

"Oh, well in that case," she said and pushed the accept button. "Hello?"

"Wow, Frank, you've sure changed since you've been gone."

"Very funny, Joe. You know exactly who this is." Bess flounced down onto the loveseat.

"Well, now I do. I couldn't mistake that sass for anyone other than the incomparable Bess Marvin."

"How's it going, Hardy boy junior? You've been terrible about keeping in touch."

Joe laughed. "Don't take it personally. I hardly see any of my friends despite the fact that I still live ten minutes from my parents' house. Thing are going about the same as usual."

"So, juggling a million different cases at once?"

"Only two this time, thankfully, but maybe only one now."

"Which one got solved?" Bess asked, picking up on a strange tone in his voice.

"It's not exactly that. I kind of chose to remove myself from working on one of them. It was better for everyone involved."

"Joe Hardy, are you talking about Vanessa's case?"

Joe didn't say anything for a beat. "Who have you been talking to? Sheesh. Apparently nothing stays my business for long."

"Please. I know everything. You should just accept that. Now tell me why you backed out of Vanessa's case." It definitely wasn't a request.

She could practically picture Joe pushing a hand through his hair in frustration. "Things were getting a little... uncomfortable with Vanessa. A little too close, I guess. She's better off not getting involved in my messes."

"As far as I can see," she said, "she got you involved in her mess, and she wanted it that way."

"Bess," he said, and he didn't successfully conceal the desperation in his voice. "I'm not good with relationships. I'm not good with letting girls get close to me. I don't want to lead this girl on."

She sat up and took a sip from the water that Nancy handed her. After swallowing, she said. "This is the only girl in who knows how many years of friendship that I have ever heard you talk about with that much emotion in your voice."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I just said." Bess got up started heading up the big staircase. This was turning into a much heavier conversation than she'd originally anticipated and she didn't feel comfortable having it in front of the others.

"Even if that's true," Joe said, "it doesn't change anything. Girls that get close to me get hurt. Either by proximity to something dangerous or because I do something stupid."

"What happened six years ago was not your fault, Joe. And I've been in close proximity to Nancy since we were kids and I'm still around. Bad things happen, and it doesn't have anything to do with you."

Joe's voice turned empty. "Did anyone ever tell you why Iola went on ahead of me that day?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I thought she was getting something out of your car."

"Yeah," Joe said and laughed, an angry, hurtful sound. "No, she was mad at me because I couldn't stop flirting with other girls. She asked me to get that box and I didn't want to because I was a complete jackass. So instead of me getting blown up, she did."

"Oh, Joe," Bess said, and tears threatened to build in her eyes at his total self-loathing. "That's a lot to have carried around for all of these years."

"It's the truth," he said simply.

"Possibly," Bess admitted. "Or at least, one side of it. But that doesn't change the fact that someone else put that bomb there. Someone else is going you-know-where because of it. Not you. If you were as terribly awful as you claim, you wouldn't have cared enough to punish yourself for all of these years."

"What's your point, Bess?" Joe asked, sounded tired and vaguely annoyed.

"My point, Joseph Hardy, is twofold. First of all, it is not your fault that Iola was murdered. Because that's what happened - she was murdered, and not by you. It's unfair to you and everyone else to keep using that as an excuse to shut everyone out. Second of all, return to my previous statement: I have never heard you talk about a girl like you do Vanessa. Not even about Iola. You may not have been as committed to her as you should have been, but you were a teenager, for heaven's sake. People grow up. It doesn't render you incapable of having any other meaningful relationships."

Once she had finished, she had to catch her breath. She'd gotten more emphatic as she went along, more so than she'd meant. It took her a moment to realize that Joe had yet to respond to her rant.

"Joe? You still there?" she asked, much more timidly than the last time she had spoken.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"You mad?"

"Maybe," he said, then sighed. "I'm not sure if I was ready to hear all of that."

"I'm sorry, but you needed to hear it. Someone had to tell you what an idiot you're being. Your brother's too nice."

"You're probably right," he conceded. "So what happens next?"

"You have to tell her."

"Tell her what?" he asked, suddenly sounding a little panicked.

"Tell her the rest of the story. She already knows some of it. It will help both of you for the truth to be out there, and it'll probably hurt. But if she's the kind of girl you deserve, she'll understand. She may even love you more for it."

"I don't know if I can do that," he admitted.

Bess smiled, wishing that she could wrap him up in a hug. "You can. You're one of the best people I've ever known."

Joe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thanks Bess. You're a better friend than I deserve."

"I know," she said. "Just promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"If things don't work out with Vanessa, will you give you and me a shot?" Bess tried to say it playfully, but she hated the sadness in her voice and hoped he wouldn't pick up on it.

"You can count on it," he said before bidding her goodbye and hanging up.

Bess realized that she'd migrated into Nancy's room while they'd been on the phone, so she took a moment to flop backwards on her bed and sigh. There were so many reasons why a relationship between Joe and her wouldn't work, but it didn't change the fact that sometimes she really wished it would. She was so very tired of being alone. It made her happy to help others with their relationship problems, but it made her wish desperately for her own.

After a final moment of wallowing, she slapped a smile on her face and made her way back down the stairs.

* * *

Joe did his own flopping back against his bed almost a thousand miles away. His father had demanded that he spend some time at his own apartment for a change, even though his fridge contained exactly one egg and half an onion. He couldn't even remember why either of those would be in there.

Bess hadn't pulled any punches, that's for sure. He hated it when people made him think about himself like that. Usually it was Frank and easy enough to ignore, but he respected Bess enough to pay attention to what she said. Not that he didn't respect Frank, but he was his brother. He was allowed to only half-listen to him.

It was so hard to remember what it was like before Iola died. Was murdered, he corrected. Bess was right - she was murdered by a terrorist group. He honestly couldn't completely recall what exactly he'd felt about her. He knew he'd liked spending time with her, and he'd definitely liked kissing her. He was happy to have her as part of his life. But had he ever been head over heels in love with her? Perhaps not. It stung deep in his heart to admit it, but there it was. He didn't think he'd ever truly been in love with his dead girlfriend. He'd placed her on a pedestal for all of these years, and of course he really had cared about her, but it wasn't like they were the perfect couple.

It was a hard thing to finally accept.

It was also incredibly liberating.

Glancing at the clock, he decided that it wasn't too late. He couldn't wait until morning. By the time he made it over to the Flower Patch, its door was closed and locked. Swearing to himself, he tried knocking on the door, but no one answered. Giving up on that plan, he pulled out his phone and texted her, asking her to come outside.

She didn't reply.

He sat on the curb and waited, wondering if she was at home. Wondering if she'd seen her phone and was ignoring it, or if she'd even seen it at all. He was just about to try calling her when the door behind him creaked open.

"Joe?"

He stood up and swung around, taking in her beautiful golden hair spilling over the oversized sweatshirt she wore. Her face was confused and sad, but he had to let himself imagine that he saw hope there as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when he still hadn't said anything.

Pulling out Iola's keys, he held them up between them and took a few steps forward. "I tried to tell you about these, and I couldn't. I wasn't ready and I acted badly."

"Joe, it's okay. We already talked about this." She fiddled with the string coming out of her hood and he wished he could catch that hand and hold it tight.

"No, it's not okay. But what I'm trying to say is this: I'm ready now. I'm really, truly ready. That is, if you still want to hear it."

She stepped closer to him, out of the doorway to the store. "Of course I still want to hear about it, but I don't want to feel like you owe me anything."

"I don't," he said quickly.

"Then what's changed?" She stuffed her hands in the front pocket, still closing herself off to him.

He thought for a second, a small smile on his face. "Let's just say that a good friend hit me over the head with some hard truths. There was nothing I could do but listen."

Vanessa studied him, and she must have accepted what she saw there because she said, "Do you want to come inside? My aunt's home, but I'm sure she'd give us some privacy."

"Actually, if it's okay with you, I'd like to sit outside. It's a nice night and I'm better at talking when I feel like I can't be seen."

She laughed and closed the door behind her, locking it with her key. "Lead the way."

They walked a block in silence until they came to a coffee shop with some outside benches. It was closed, but Joe plopped down on one of them anyway. The bench was made out of a metal grate-type material and it was cold through his jeans. The chill gave him just enough confidence to do what he had to do.

Holding the keys out one more time, he said, "Please, take these."

"Are you sure?" Vanessa asked, tentatively reaching for them. "I don't have to."

"I want you to," he said, closing her fingers around the fused metal. "I want you to know everything. Be involved with everything."

She pulled away, the keys still in her hand, and waited. Only a few inches separated them, but Joe suddenly felt very alone. He wished he could take a minute to call Bess up again and get a pep talk.

"Then tell me," she said.

So he did.

"So you see," he finally said, "why I haven't bothered with relationships. For so long I've felt like my lack of commitment is what got her killed. I'm starting to understand that I don't have to keep looking at it that way, but that's the reality I've been living with for, well, what feels like forever."

Vanessa hadn't said anything the entire time he'd told his story. She sat there attentively, rubbing the metal between her fingers just as he'd done so many times. A sharp intake of breath when he got to the part about the car exploding was the only sound that told him she was actually next to him.

"Please, Vanessa," he begged, unable to look at her. "Say something." He hated that tears were starting to gather in his eyes again. Bess had told him that this would help, but he couldn't help but feel like he'd just made everything irreparably worse.

Leaving the misshapen keys on her lap, she reached up with both hands and held his face, turning him to look at her. Her own eyes were moist, though thankfully none had escaped onto her face. He knew he'd lose it if she started to actually cry. After a moment of studying his face, she pulled him into her, sliding her arms around his neck until she was fully embracing him.

"You're a good man, Joe," she said into his ear. "Never doubt that you are entitled to some happiness."

A rush of relief ran through him and he relaxed into her. She didn't hate him. She didn't think he was a horrible person because of what had happened. She didn't even seem angry with him. He moved his own arms until they circled her waist, completing the hug. For the first time in longer than he could remember he felt truly open to another person. She could ask him anything and he would answer with as much truth as he knew.

It was very telling that she didn't have anything to ask.

"Thank you."

"What for?" she asked, pulling back and moving her hands to rest on his shoulders.

"For listening without judging, for understanding, for caring. The list goes on."

"Of course," she said with a small laugh. "After all of the pain you've been going through, it's the least I could do. I will never judge you for being honest with me about who you are."

Joe smiled, feeling emotionally drained. "Then I guess I have no excuse but to be honest."

After nodding, Vanessa stood up and reached for his hands, hoisting him up with her. "Ready to head back?" she asked, giving back those precious keys.

He took a final look at them before placing them back in his pocket. He knew it was probably unhealthy to keep carrying them around, but it was one thing that this experience wouldn't be able to change about him. At least, not right away. Vanessa only gave him an encouraging smile.

This time when they traveled the block, they did it with joined hands, whispered words and shared glances passing between them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Happy Mother's Day! I am not one, but I have great love for all of you that are. **

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* * *

Nancy paced around her living room. Ned had long since left, and Bess hadn't been far behind. They each had their own lives to get to. Frank was still plugging away at the computer, though without much luck. She'd thought it would go faster this time since he had a better idea of what he was looking for, but unfortunately that hadn't been the case so far.

Hannah had just finished preparing dinner when Carson came through the door from the garage.

"Where is my daughter?" Nancy heard him bellow as he walked through the house.

She allowed herself to cringe for half a second before answering. "In here, Dad. Frank's with me."

"Good," he said, stepping through the doorway with folded arms. "What were you two thinking?"

Frank looked up from the computer for the first time in hours, but he had no idea what to say to the older man.

"Dad, it was my idea," Nancy said. "Don't blame Frank. He's the one who made sure the whole thing went off safely."

"What were you doing in that building? I'm sure I don't have to tell you how foolish that was." The anger in his voice had only marginally lessened.

"We needed information. I really probably shouldn't go into specifics so you feel like you can treat your client with honesty." Nancy emphasized that last part, hoping that playing on his sense of honor would temper his emotions.

"I can't believe you put me in that position, let alone yourself. What would have happened if someone had recognized you?" he asked instead, pacing back and forth. At least Nancy knew where she got it from.

"No one did. And frankly Dad, a lot of time my profession is hoping for the best and planning for the worst. In this case, our hoping paid off. We're fine, and you're fine. Everything worked out."

"Yes, I suppose it did," he said calmly, though the anger hadn't left his eyes. "I think I'll be taking dinner in my study. You're welcome to eat whenever you'd like."

Before Nancy had a chance to say anything else, he'd already swept from the room. She sat down hard on the arm of the couch next to where Frank was still camped out.

"I hate it when I do something that makes him that angry," she said dejectedly.

Frank slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed. "He'll calm down."

"I hope so," she said and leaned her head down onto his.

* * *

"Nancy?"

Nancy's eyes popped open at the sound of her name. Looking around, she realized that she'd fallen asleep on the couch in the living room while Frank sat across from her, still clicking away.

"What's up?" she asked with a yawn. "What time is it, anyway?"

"About two in the morning. Anyway, I think I was finally able to break through some of this stuff."

"What did you find?" She sat up and ran a hand through her mussed up hair.

Frank sighed, then grinned. "The other half of the emails."

"Seriously? What do they say?" Nancy came over to Frank and leaned over his shoulder, looking at the screen.

"Almost everything we could have hoped for. There are several that very clearly spell out the formulas and how to use them for more than one drug. And before you ask, yes, including the most recent one."

"That's amazing, Frank."

He smiled up at her. "I'm not even done yet. It just so happens that we know who they were sent to: Mr. Lanson himself."

"That can't be right. He was that stupid?" She laughed.

"Most definitely. They were sent to his company email address. And from there I can follow the trail of him forwarding them on to the company chemists."

"So, the good news is that we have definitive proof that Lanson stole those formulas. Which unfortunately won't make my dad super thrilled."

Frank nudged her arm. "He said himself that the most important thing to him is the truth. Well, here it is, staring us in the face. There's nothing we can do about it."

Nancy nodded but chose not to comment, unsure of anything else she could say about it. It was easier just to pretend her father wasn't a factor. "Phillip Pharmaceuticals will win the lawsuit. So what does that mean for Ned? Will he keep his job?"

"The problem is, we still don't know who sent those emails. In the eyes of the higher ups, we may have actually just sealed his fate. We have proof that wrongdoing happened, but we have no proof that it was anyone other than Ned."

Nancy flopped back against the couch in frustration. "After all of that, and we still can't clear him."

Frank yawned and stood up. "We will. But I think it's time for me to head to bed. We'll call him over here in the morning and tell him what we found. Maybe he'll have some other insights."

He tucked the computer under his arm and reached for Nancy's hand with the other. Her mind was still going a mile a minute trying to think of a solution, but the call of her soft mattress was just strong enough to deter her.

Seeing her acquiesce, Frank tugged her hand and led her up the stairs, where they both collapsed into sleep.

* * *

"So in essence, you're telling me that we found proof that I did this." Ned's voice was starting to raise, making Nancy cringe. They had summoned both him and Bess as early as they dared to break the news.

"Not really. We just found proof that someone did it. We just need to find out who," she said, hoping he'd calm down.

Ned slid a hand down his face, muttering. "I can't believe this."

Frank's hand clenched into a fist, but he stopped himself from actually standing up and facing the other guy. "You know what, Ned?"

"We need to brainstorm!" Nancy interrupted, stepping in between them to break the burning glares. "There are plenty of other options."

Frank looked down so that his anger wouldn't transfer to his girlfriend, but it was a hundred times more difficult than hacking a computer. He took a deep breath, forcing his feelings to relax.

"We haven't spent a lot of time considering who the other suspects could be," he said finally. "Let's make a list." Frank pulled up a new document on his computer and poised his fingers over the keyboard, waiting.

"Steve," Nancy said right away.

"Possible," Frank agreed and typed it in, "though I'm not sure how likely it is that he was in the lab and on Ned's computer by himself."

"Really?" Ned said. "I don't think so. That guy is one of my best friends. What motive would he have?"

"Money," Frank and Nancy said together. Ned scowled at the two of them out of reflex.

"And," Frank added, "the fact that you're his friend makes him look worse because it gives him more access to your computer than the average person would have."

Ned was shaking his head. "I don't know if I can believe it."

"What about the other lab technicians?" Bess asked, changing the subject. She was lounging on a loveseat filing her nails. She had decided, for once, that she should stay out of the Frank/Nancy/Ned drama. She's said all she could on the subject.

"No, absolutely not. Jenna and Charlie are the most loyal people I've ever known in my life. Neither of them would do this. Not to mention that at least one of them is related the the CEO himself, and they have a great relationship."

"We'll want to look into it, but assuming you're right, that leaves us with Steve so far. Unless you can think of anyone else," Frank said, folding his hands.

Nancy spoke quietly. "There is one other person. Karie?"

"My girlfriend?" Ned asked. "You honestly think my girlfriend committed a crime and pinned it on me?"

"It's a valid option," Frank said with a shrug.

"No. It's not," Ned said, then turned on Nancy. "You just can't stand to see me happy. I broke up with you and now you want me to be as miserable as you."

This time Frank did start to get up. "Hey, now."

"No, Frank, it's okay," Nancy said before facing Ned again. "I hope you're only angry right now and that you don't actually feel that way. I was terrible to you, Ned, for practically our entire relationship. It didn't take long for me to finally admit that to myself once you left, though I never did apologize. So I'll do it now: I'm sorry. I was a horrible girlfriend, and you deserved so much better than I ever gave you."

The tense anger in Ned's body dissipated just enough for him to stop shaking, though instead of saying anything he looked down at the floor.

"The only thing I've ever wanted for you during these past years is for you to find someone that makes you as happy as I should have. And if Karie is that person, then great. I hope she treats you well. But if she really did do this, wouldn't you want to know about it?"

Ned let out a groan of intense frustration before sinking down onto the couch. "No. Maybe. I don't know. Does it really have to come to this?"

"Not necessarily," Nancy said. "But if it were me, I'd want to know."

Frank had been watching the exchange with a surprising amount of anxiety. He knew it was something that Nancy and Ned needed to deal with, but when he had gotten angry at her Frank was about ready to rip his head off. Thinking back on their relationship caused both of them some amount of pain. He didn't love seeing Ned going through that, though it didn't exactly bother him, but he absolutely despised watching it happen to Nancy.

"So what next?" Ned asked. His head was muffled since his head was buried in his hands.

Before either of them could answer him with suggestions on how to get more proof, Carson came out of his study. Nancy wasn't sure how long he'd been in there or what he'd heard, but she tensed up as he came into the living room.

"Hey Dad," she said, standing up. "How come you aren't at work?"

"I chose to work from home today," he said stiffly, standing in the middle of them. "Look, I was too angry yesterday to even think of the importance of what I'm about to tell you, but I couldn't help but overhear."

"What is it?" Ned asked, looking up from his hands.

"Yesterday, before I happened upon you two," he said, flinging his arm in Nancy's direction, "I was privy to a conversation that may have some significance." He sat down, and the rest of them followed suit.

"This person was meeting with Mr. Lanson, arguing about money, saying that they weren't paid everything they had coming to them."

"What's weird about that?" Frank asked.

"That wasn't the significant part. What was, was when Mr. Lanson called me in later and asked about refusing payment for someone who had done something criminal and the repercussions."

"What did you say?" Nancy asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"I told him that I don't deal with anything below-board, and that he should call some other lawyer. About that time was when I ran into you, so I completely forgot about it until now."

"What did this person sound like? Male or female?" Nancy asked, hoping to narrow the suspects.

"Female," Carson said with surety. "Definitely a female voice. I could also hear her heels stomping down the hallway when she left."

"Wait, a woman?" Bess asked, sitting up and putting the file away.

"That's what I said," Carson said with a frown.

"What is it Bess?" Nancy knew that look in her friend's eyes.

"Well, right after you guys walked away, a blond woman got on the elevator and pressed the lobby button. She seemed to be in a hurry."

"Blond?" Ned asked. "Are you sure?"

Bess nodded. "Yes. She had it twisted back and held with a pencil."

Ned's face fell a little. "Jenna does her hair like that, and she's blond."

"Do you have a picture of her?" Bess asked, and Ned started flipping through the photos on his phone. After settling on one, he handed it to her.

"Here's one from our most recent potluck lunch." He shrugged after receiving some funny looks. "It can get lonely down there. This is our department."

"Yep," Bess said, pointing at the picture. "That's the woman I saw, right there."

Nancy peered over her shoulder at the phone. "Bess, that's not Jenna. That's Karie."

"What?" Ned asked, coming closer. "That can't be right."

Bess shrugged and handed it back to him. "That's who I saw."

"Why would Karie have any money business with Mr. Lanson if not because she sold him those formulas?" Frank asked, trying to be the voice of reason.

"I don't know," Ned said, steely. "But I'm going to find out."


	19. Chapter 19

**I apologize for my absence. We're approaching the end to this story, and parts of it weren't quite right. I had to get back into writing mode and figure it all out, which took awhile. It's better this way, though. I promise. **

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a giant orchid and a bamboo plant. **

* * *

That morning Joe went straight to the Flower Patch without even thinking twice about it. He knew his dad wouldn't be thrilled about him skipping out on him, but he'd sent him a text explaining. He hoped it would be enough.

They were already open, so Joe walked straight in. He was happy to see that Vanessa was the only one in the small space, working away on wrapping some flowers.

"Joe," she said with a smile, coming around the counter to meet him. "What are you doing here?"

He slid his hands into her hair and lowered his head to kiss her. She made a small sound of surprise before letting herself relax into it, grasping the front of his shirt. He didn't push the kiss any further, instead letting it settle into something warm and comfortable.

"What was that for?" She asked when he finally pulled away.

Joe ducked his head and grinned. "I guess I just wanted to say thank you for last night. You know, listening and all that."

She reached up and pecked him on the lips before laughing. "Well, you're welcome. Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to show you the picture the police gave me of the guy with the tattoo. We're not sure it's right guy, but it was worth a shot."

"Yeah, definitely," he said, but before they could go anywhere the door opened with a ding, allowing a group of people to come pouring in.

"Or maybe later," she said, sounding a little weary. "Just let me deal with this group first."

After pressing a final kiss to her forehead, he said, "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Joe leaned back against the counter and observed her talking to a couple of the women in the group. The few men seemed unsure of what to do with themselves. There was one man, however that stood just slightly apart from the group, though Joe knew instantly that he recognized him.

"Sam!" he said, walking over to him. "What are you doing here?"

He startled before looking over at Joe. "Oh, hi. Um, just getting some flowers. For my mother."

"Are you sure?" Joe asked with a smirk. "I used that line on her once, too."

"No, really," he said emphatically. "I really am."

Joe's shouting across the store had briefly gotten Vanessa's attention, but it was enough. She rushed up to him and tugged on his arm, asking to speak with him immediately.

"What is it?" he asked once they were behind the counter. "You look spooked."

"That's the guy in the police picture," she said, gesturing with her head over to Sam. "And look, he even has the tattoo."

Joe looked over at Sam who was watching them warily. He couldn't deny it - the tattoo on his forearm did look a lot like what the woman had described to him. He just had no idea how Sam would be tied up in all of this. He ran a non-profit, for pete's sake.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, as much as was possible in a whispered tone. "Joe, I'm freaking out a little bit here. What do I do? Should I call the police?"

He tapped his fingers on the counter and thought for a moment. "Not just yet, though you might want to get the number ready."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to talk to him. Maybe he has a good reason."

Vanessa snorted, but he was already on his way back over to Sam. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Joe and Vanessa the entire time they'd been talking.

"You know what? I better be going," he said once Joe had reached him. "It's pretty crowded in here and I've got a lot of work to do."

"I totally get that," Joe said. "But first, would you mind giving me a hand? We have a couple of heavy boxes in the back room that need lifting. It's a two man job."

Sam looked like he wanted to bolt, but finally he nodded and followed Joe back to the room. When they got inside, Joe closed the door and locked it.

"Woah, what's going on?" Sam asked, looking incredibly skittish.

"Why have you been leaving notes for my girlfriend?" Joe asked, folding his arms across his strong chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about, man." He started edging his way to the door, even though Joe was standing in front of it.

"You're lying. She identified you by your tattoo."

Sam's eyes widened and he rushed at Joe, trying to shove him out of the way. Before he was able to get the door unlocked Joe was up and tackling him to the ground.

"Get off of me! I told you, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah? Then what's this that just fell out of your pocket?" Joe held up a new note, identical in style to the others.

Sam looked at the note, at Joe, then the door.

"Don't even think about it," Joe said, reading his mind. "Vanessa's out there with the phone on speed dial to the police as we speak. So why don't you tell me what this is all about. What have you been looking for?"

Sam sighed. "Can you get off? I promise I won't bolt."

Joe knew it probably wasn't very smart of him, but Sam was essentially a trapped man, and he knew it, so he pushed himself off of the other guy, sitting back against the door.

"Okay, now talk."

"Well, you know how my charity lost the building, what we talked about before?"

"Yeah," Joe said. "So what does that have to do with Vanessa?"

"Nothing, but it has everything to do with the person who used to own this building."

"What do you mean?"

Sam sat up a little more on the hard tile. "The woman who owned this place was very old and very smart. She also had some other properties and was renting them out, such as the one she was renting to us. But then she died."

"So what happened?" Joe asked, leaning his arms against his bent knees.

"Turns out this shrewd business woman also had a soft heart and no family, so she left the properties to those who were renting them from her. The only problem is that the will was deemed unofficial, and we were forced to move out. But I know that the real will still exists, and it's somewhere in this building."

"Why would it be here?"

"Something that she said to me before she died. It didn't make much sense at the time, but now after everything that's happened..." Sam shrugged.

"Okay, but there's one thing I don't get. Why didn't you just talk to Vanessa or Beth? They're both really nice people and they'd have no reason to brush you off."

"They were the only previous renters that hadn't been forced off of the property, so I figured they were somehow in on it. It made sense at the time."

Joe frowned. Unfortunately, it did make sense. He knew Vanessa had nothing to do with it - she would have still been in the City when it all went down - but he wasn't so sure about her aunt. "Don't go anywhere."

"Where would I go, into the fridge?" Sam said drily.

Joe grunted, got up and slipped out of the door, closing it behind him. Vanessa excused herself from helping a customer and hurried over to him.

"What happened?" she asked, peering around him at door. "Is he still alive in there?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "Seriously, Vanessa? Of course he's still alive. We just talked."

"How was I supposed to know? There are a lot of sharp objects in that room." She held her hands up and dropped them back to her side.

Joe laughed. "You have an amazing imagination. Anyway, he said some things that made a lot of sense, and I'm hoping to talk to your aunt about them."

"Beth?" Vanessa sounded confused. "What would she have to do with any of this?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said, resting a hand on her arm. "Probably nothing, but she may have some answers she's not aware of."

"Okay, I'll run upstairs and get her. Keep an eye on the customers."

She disappeared up the stairs, leaving Joe to lean against the door to the room where Sam was still enclosed. He'd been awfully quiet, so he cracked the door and peeked inside.

"Yeah, I escaped through the sink drain," Sam said sarcastically, still sitting on the floor.

"Just checking," Joe said, closing the door again. About that time Vanessa came back down, Beth trailing behind her. Just then a lady came up to him holding a bouquet and asking to check out. Before Joe had a chance to admit he didn't actually work there, Vanessa swooped in and started ringing her up.

"What's this about?" Beth asked, coming up to him.

"Well, there's someone in your back room hoping for your help." He opened the door and ushered her inside. Sam stood up when he saw the older woman with him, wiping his hands off on his pants. It looked to Joe like he considered offering one to her, but he must have changed his mind.

"I have no idea who this person is," Beth said, turning to Joe.

"This is Sam. He runs a local non-profit that recently had to relocate."

"We were renting from Madge, too," he said by way of explanation.

At the mention of the old woman's name, Beth's face turned stoney. "I still don't see what this has to do with me. I have work to do, so if you'll excuse me."

Joe stepped in front of the door. "This has everything to do with you. By the look on your face, you know exactly what's been going down. Madge left the properties to the good people who had been renting from her, and they've all been evicted except for you. Why?"

Beth looked at the two men, at the door, then back to them. Finally she sighed. "There were two wills."

"I knew it!" Sam exclaimed, pumping his fist.

"Yeah, well, I didn't," Beth said, annoyed. "At least, not at first. As I'm sure we all were, I was thrilled to hear that I was going to be the owner of this building. It solved a lot of problems. It wasn't until I was approached by two men that I learned of the existence of the other one."

"Who were they?" Joe asked.

"I don't know their names," she said with a shrug. "They told me that as long as I kept the second, authenticated will a secret, they would leave my property and me alone. That's all I wanted, so I agreed. They didn't seem to be the kind of men that made idle threats."

"But I thought you just said you didn't know about the other will?" Sam asked, his earlier elation having faded away.

"That was the first I'd heard of it, but it seemed so important I figured I'd better start looking. Madge used to live in the upstairs apartment, you know, and I only rented the bottom space. When she left me the building I moved in. After those men came to see me, I remembered a stack of papers she'd left in one of the desk drawers. I hadn't done anything with them, not having the time or inclination."

"And?" Joe prompted when she'd stopped talking.

"It was there, okay?" Beth said, looking guilty. "It looked like she'd had every intention of delivering it to the appropriate people, but then she died. What was I supposed to do? I had no idea that other people were getting thrown out."

"How is that possible?" Sam asked. "Especially after it happened more than once."

"In her defense, it was kept incredibly under wraps," Joe admitted. "I mean, it took my father and me days to find any official evidence of wrongdoing."

Sam had a tired but hopeful look on his face. "It's okay though, because now you can go the police and the lawyers with the real will. Everything will be set to right."

"I can't do that." Bess looked down, face red.

"Aunt Beth!"

The three people standing in the room whirled around, unaware that Vanessa had opened up the door behind them.

"Vanessa, dear, how much did you hear?" Beth asked, holding onto her hand.

Her face was passionate when she spoke. "Enough to know that you've been keeping something important a secret. What good reason would there be to continue to lock it away?"

"You, darling niece," Beth said, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "They said that they would hurt you."

"Wait a second," Joe said with hands held up. "Vanessa was in New York City when all of this went down."

"Yes, but somehow they knew where she was and how much I care about her. And then when she moved in with me, they came by again, restating their warning."

"That's why you were so reluctant to agree to having me come here?" Vanessa asked, holding her aunt's shoulders.

Beth pulled her into a hug. "I figured that if you were farther away that they would be less likely to get to you. I'm sorry I didn't just tell you, but they said I shouldn't."

Joe gave them a moment to be emotional before bringing everyone back to the facts. "Please tell me that you still have the will."

Beth stepped back and shot him a look. "I may be scared, but I'm not stupid. It's in my safe, upstairs."

"Good. That solves a lot of problems. Why don't you three head up there while I make a couple of calls?" He was already pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" Vanessa asked, lagging behind Sam and Beth who were gabbing like old friends up ahead of them. It was strange to think that just a few days ago he had left them threatening notes and broken into their store.

"My dad and the police." Joe's voice was gleeful when he added, "He'll be flummoxed when he learns we solved this entire case."

"Wait, the police? Do you think that's safe?" She grabbed his arm, keeping him from dialing.

Looking up at her face, he saw how scared she was. Sliding his hands around her waist, he pulled her into a hug and said, "Hey, everything's going to be fine. My dad has pictures of the guys your aunt was probably talking about, and with her as a witness they police will start to put together a case. They'll also post protection for you, so nothing will happen."

"Promise?" She asked, though a smile was already starting to crack through her fear.

"If it helps, I'll sleep on your couch until these guys are in jail."

She laughed. "I don't think we'll have to take it that far."

"We'll see," he said with a grin after pulling away. "Now let me make these calls. The sooner everyone gets involved the sooner you don't have to worry any longer."

"Sounds perfect," she said, taking his hand.


	20. Chapter 20

**So close to the end...**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a couple dozen rejection letters... :) **

* * *

"Are you sure about this, buddy?"

Steve was already starting to dampen his dress shirt as he watched Frank outfit Ned with a wire a block away from where he was meeting the girl that was supposed to be his girlfriend. They had called in the HR rep to act as a witness in case Ned actually did turn up some proof by way of getting Kelly to admit anything. That way it was one more person who could vouch for Ned. The recording, of course, would be the icing on the cake.

Ned sighed before turning to his friend. "Do I have much of a choice? Nancy's right - I have to know the truth."

"I know it hurts, Ned," Nancy said, watching the proceedings with a sad feeling. "It's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Believe me, I know all about doing what's noble."

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Frank asked, doing a final check that the mic was concealed well enough.

"To be honest, I'm trying not to think too hard about it. I'm sure the words will come."

Frank frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Frank," Nancy whispered, and once she had his attention she made a cutting motion.

"I mean," he said slowly after shrugging at her, "yeah, I'm sure it will all work out."

"So you're meeting her at her apartment," Nancy said, going over the plan again. "We'll be here, waiting and listening. If you get into trouble any reason, just use the safe word and we'll come as fast as we can."

"She's not going to hurt me," Ned said. "I'm still not convinced she did anything wrong."

"Well, now's your chance to find out. You're officially two minutes late." Nancy gave him a gentle shove in the direction of her apartment. Once he started walking, the three of them got back in Ned's car. Bess would have come, but she had dinner plans with her parents already.

Frank turned on the little box that transmitted Ned's signal and tuned it so they could hear more clearly. He'd refused to wear a com, insisting against having anyone else's voice in his head. Frank had found that amusing, considering the stink he'd made about it the other day, though he'd kept that to himself.

The listened in as she greeted him and invited him in. Then they tried really hard not to listen as it sounded like she was trying to swallow his face. Nancy looked a little sick, actually, and Frank didn't feel much better.

"Can we turn it down?" she asked, but before Frank could comply they heard voices again.

"Actually," Ned was saying, "there's something I really need to ask you about."

"What is it, darling? You know you can ask me anything. Come, let's sit on the couch."

"I know this is going to seem completely ridiculous, but I have to ask." He sounded incredibly nervous, even through the wire.

"Out with it, Ned. I can take it." Her flirtatious tone made Nancy want to strangle her. It wasn't that she was jealous, because she definitely was not. She just had a hard time dealing with any woman that talked that way.

"Well, you know about what's going on at work, and well, I've been doing a little investigating."

Frank snorted. It wasn't like Ned had done that much of it. Nancy tapped his leg, knowing what he was thinking, reminding him to keep quiet so they could hear.

"I hope you found something to clear your name!"

"Actually, I think I did. It turns out that a lot of the evidence points to me being framed. That is, someone else used my computer to sell the formulas to Lanson."

"How terrible! Who was it?" This time all three of them rolled their eyes. Karie certainly was laying it on thick. Nancy couldn't help but wonder if she was like this all the time, and if so, how Ned had ever put up with it for so long.

"Well," Ned said, then sighed. "My sources say that it was you."

A big intake of breath. "Me? Why in the world would I do a thing like that to you? You're my boyfriend!"

"Yeah, and why is that again?" Ned's had voice had taken on an accusatory tone.

"What do you mean?" This time her confusion sounded genuine.

"Why did you ask me out that day?" Suddenly everything made more sense to Nancy. She hadn't known that Karie had been the pursuer. Her relationship with Ned hadn't been simply convenient, it had been planned.

"I asked you out because you were cute, and funny, and sweet..."

It sounded like Ned stood up in a hurry. Something had changed in him. "Cut it out, Karie. I'm being serious. Was it all just to get at the formulas? Have an excuse to be in my lab?" He'd put together the same thing Nancy had.

"Ned, come on."

"No. No more lies. Tell me the truth. You've cost me my career, so you owe me at least that much."

"You know," Karie said, and the sickening sweetness was gone from her voice, "I can get you a job with Lanson. They'll pay you more than you used to make. You won't have to work in that hole of a lab. You'll be respected for the brilliant chemist that you are."

"So it's true. You really did frame me and sell Lanson those formulas," Ned said quietly.

"Of course it is." She sounded exasperated. "I already told you that they pay so much more than you could imagine. Well, once they finally pay up the agreed amount."

Nancy felt like doing a little happy dance in her seat. He'd gotten her to admit to the whole thing. It was more than enough to take to the head of Phillip Pharmaceuticals and the police. Ned would be back at work in no time. That is, unless he took her offer. But if he did that, then he really wasn't the man that she thought he was.

At the same time as Nancy's internal celebration, Steve swore under his breath and tugged at his collar.

"No," Ned said, his voice coming strong through the microphone.

"No what?"

"No, I don't to work for Lanson. I don't want to have any part in this. I don't want to be that person. I don't want to be... you."

Nancy smiled.

"How kind," Karie snarled. "That's really too bad."

Nancy's heart stopped for a moment when she heard the unmistakable click.

Frank groaned. "Why does there always have to be a gun involved?" He absently rubbed at his arm and the twin scars marring his skin as they started getting ready to hear the safeword.

Ned's voice was no longer projecting strength. "Karie, what the hell? I wanted to see the sunset."

There it was. Nancy and Frank pushed open the car doors so they could storm the building.

Until they heard another click.

Both of them slowly turned around to see Steve, shaking and sweating, pointing a gun in their direction. It was impossible to tell who exactly he was aiming for, but experience had taught both Frank and Nancy that inexperienced people could often be the most dangerous.

They stood on the sidewalk with their arms held in a relaxed manner, trying to calm Steve down. Meanwhile, Ned had started saying the word "sunset" over and over again with increasing anxiety.

Frank had to make a choice. There was no way he would run to Ned and leave Nancy with a loose cannon. All the training in the world can't completely predict what he would do. If they stayed together, Ned could be dead by the time they got up there. Also, Steve was much bigger than Nancy, not that that would stop her, but he would be the more obvious match for him. It pained him to say it, but he shouted at Nancy to get to Ned.

It was a demonstration in trust and training that she didn't hesitate or question. Before he'd finished his sentence she was through the door of the apartment building.

"Steve," Frank said trying to stay calm as he directed all of his attention to the nervous man. He actively slowed his breathing and heart rate, hoping it would help diffuse the situation.

"I'm sorry, Frank," Steve said, adjusting his grip on the gun. "You seem like a real nice guy."

"Can I ask how you're involved in this?" he asked, in as soothing a voice as possible.

"I… I have some debts to some people Karie is going to take care of them."

Frank groaned again, this time internally. If Steve was talking about the kind of debtors that he thought, he truly was a desperately dangerous man.

"I know that must feel really scary. I don't blame you. But Steve, you know inside that this is only going to make it worse."

Steve's face contorted. "I know. I just don't see a way out."

"Nancy's dad is really important around this city. If you give me the gun and testify again Karie, he'll help you in whatever way he can. I promise." Frank didn't know if that was true, but it also wasn't important at the moment.

"Are you sure?" A glimmer of hope appeared.

"Yes," Frank said firmly. "Now give me the gun before someone gets hurt."

Steve handed it over barrel first, so Frank immediately took it and flipped on the safely. A small sigh of relief went through him.

But it was short-lived, because a shot went off inside the building.

Meanwhile, Nancy had taken the stars two at a time to get to Ned. Her heart had tugged when she'd heard how scared he was. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but quickly found the apartment number Ned had mentioned.

Her options were slim, so she went with the element of surprise and kicked at the door. Luckily, it was old enough that it swung open on the first try, startling both Karie and Ned.

Karie spun towards her with the gun before her eyes widened. "You. I should have known you'd be mixed up in this somehow."

Nancy shrugged, but on the inside she was tense and alert. "I figured that was my line, but whatever."

The other woman opened her mouth to return her banter, but Nancy never gave her the chance. She charged at her in the small space, grabbing at the gun and pointing it up towards the ceiling.

As they struggled, a shot went off.

"Call the police, Ned!" Nancy shouted while elbowing Karie in the face.

Karie flinched backwards but managed to keep her grip on the gun, pulling Nancy with her. The two women toppled, falling over onto the floor. As they landed, the gun fired again.

About that time, Frank ran through the already busted door. He took in the situation in half a second. Karie didn't see him from her place on the floor, so it was easy to surprise her and rip the gun out of her hands. Nancy expected it, so she let go at just the right time.

Once the gun was no longer a factor, incapacitating Karie was only a matter of seconds. It was obvious she had minimal, if any, experience with hand to hand fighting. Within a few seconds she was on her stomach with her hands zip-tied behind her back.

"Where did you get the zip tie?" Frank asked.

Nancy laughed. "I'm in the habit of keeping a couple in my pocket."

Frank couldn't argue with that. He scanned her with his eyes, then hands, making sure that she wasn't injured anywhere.

"I'm fine, Frank," Nancy said quietly, looking up into his concerned face with affection.

"I just have to see for myself," he murmured.

"Well, I can't say the same about the ceiling," Ned said, interrupting their moment. "It's a good thing this is a top floor apartment."

Nancy looked up and saw the little hole. "Better there than in one of us."

"Yeah, about that," Ned said, arms crossed. "I'm grateful you came to the rescue and all that, but it seems like you should have gotten that gun away from her sooner. I mean, it ended up being pointed at me a couple of times."

All of Frank's careful control snapped.

He turned on the smaller man, hands clenched into fists. He was distantly aware of Nancy saying his name, puling on his arm, but it didn't even make a dent in his rage.

"You are the most selfish, ungrateful son of a bitch that I have ever known. Nancy is a saint for dealing with you as long as she did. You never deserved her." His voice wasn't raised, but his tone was lethal.

"What, and you do?" Ned retorted.

"Yes."

It was one word, but Ned apparently couldn't handle it. He flew at Frank with his fist, but it was child's play to Frank. He intercepted the punch with his own open palm, forcing Ned's hand down. He raised his other hand for his own punch, red tingeing his vision.

"Frank."

The quiet, calm voice broke through the haze for just long enough for him to realize what he was in the middle of. He swore, flinging away Ned's fist and brushing by him on his way out the door.

"Can you believe that?" Ned said to Nancy, rubbing his fist.

This time it was her chance to be angry, so she reigned it in as best she could. After a deep breath, she said, "I will talk to the police about what happened tonight. But after that you are on your own. Don't call my father or me, even if you're in trouble. I don't want you in my life anymore."

Ned spluttered, but she ignored it and followed Frank out the door.

Frank was still shaking with anger when she found him down on the street. Steve had run off, but it was the least of her concerns. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the police pulled up. Apparently Ned really had called them when she told him to.

Keeping a hand on Frank's back, they each shared their stories, slipping in their credentials so their testimonies would carry more weight. They also handed over both guns.

Realizing that their only way home was Ned's car, Nancy hailed a cab and ushered Frank into the backseat. Then she hugged him close to her until his trembling calmed.

* * *

**Everything's wrapping up... only one chapter left!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here we are - the final chapter! **

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* * *

The next day, Frank and Nancy brought the recording to Mr. Phillip himself, along with Carson. Ned was also there, though they didn't say much to him. Mr. Phillip was, surprisingly, quite apologetic about the entire thing, offering to up Ned's salary and pay for a week of vacation days. He declined the days off, saying that he'd been away from work for long enough.

The police came shortly thereafter at the request of Mr. Phillip. With such an important business man pressing them to action, they didn't hesitate to hear them out and connect what had happened the night before.

As Nancy and Frank were on their way out from Mr. Phillip's office, he stopped them with a hand.

"You know," he said. "You two look incredibly familiar. Are you sure we haven't met?"

Nancy had to resist the urge to hide her smile behind her hand. "No, I don't think so. Just one of those faces, I guess."

He nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "I suppose so. Well, in any event, thank you for bringing the truth to light. I really wasn't thrilled about letting Mr. Nickerson go, so now we all win."

"Sure thing," Frank said. He shook his hand before ushering Nancy out the door.

By the time they were alone in the elevator they were ready to collapse into laughter. It was one part the hilarity of the situation, one part exhaustion, and one part relief over finally wrapping the whole thing up.

Carson had pulled up his car and was waiting for them by the time the stepped outside.

"Well, Nancy," he said once they had climbed inside, "I may not always approve of your methods, but I can't deny that you got to the truth."

"Dad, I really am sorry. I never meant to put you in that position," she said, turning in the front seat to face her father.

He waved his hand. "It's done, and it all worked out. Just be more careful next time."

They couldn't help it - Nancy and Frank burst out laughing again.

"Okay, okay. Maybe that's too much to ask," Carson said with a sigh before joining in. "Ready to start your vacation for real?"

Nancy turned around to look at Frank in the backseat. "More than ever."

His answering smile was all she needed to get her blood moving.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Vanessa asked, unfolding a blanket and laying it on the couch.

Joe stood up from where he had been digging in his bag and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. "Not even a little bit."

Vanessa sighed and leaned into him, resting her cheek against his strong shoulder. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you haven't petitioned to spend the night with me," she said, teasing.

"With your scary aunt one wall away?" Joe shuddered. "No, thank you."

He smiled when he felt her laugh against him, gratified that he'd brought a smile to her beautiful face. She hadn't smiled enough that day through the hours of police questioning.

"But seriously," he continued. "I'm taking my cue from you on that front, got it?"

"Sounds good," she said, snuggling in closer.

"And while we're on the subject, would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow? On a date, I mean."

She pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Will you show up this time?"

Joe groaned and ducked his forehead until it was resting on her shoulder. "Am I ever going to live that down?"

"Probably not," she said with a shrug. "But you're more than welcome to try."

He looked up, straight into her eyes. "I'm going to hold you to that. And I will show up. In fact, I'll even pick you up."

"One more chance," she said sternly, before dissolving into a smile.

"Good," he said, more relieved than he'd care to admit. Sliding his hands up, he cupped her face and lowered his lips. Pressing gently, he savored the feel of her warm mouth opening to him. Taking advantage he slowly slid his tongue against hers. She sighed, urging him on, quickening his motions just a bit. Her hands slipped around him until they pressed against the bare skin of his back under his shirt, igniting fire in their wake.

Allowing himself just a few more seconds total bliss, he finally tore his mouth from hers. His heart pounded against his chest, his breathing heavy. She didn't look to be faring much better.

"You better head inside your room," he said, voice rough.

"Are you rejecting me?" she asked with a smile, though he couldn't help but pick up on the slight confusion in her voice.

"No," he said, taking her hand. "Never. And I know what I said just a minute ago, but to be honest, I don't think I'm ready yet."

"What?" Now her confusion was front and center.

Joe sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sex for me has always just been about fun. You know, no strings attached and all that. I can't even remember the last time it had any sense of meaning behind it. Before I let myself go there with you I want to make sure that I'm ready for it to be what we both want."

"I could do no strings," she said, though she seemed unsure about it.

"Maybe," he admitted, "but I don't think I could. Not anymore. I don't want that for us."

She looked relieved that that wasn't what he was asking for. "Okay. Then we'll wait."

"Not forever," Joe said with a smirk. "But let's be sure about this. About us."

"Sounds perfect." She reached up and held his rough cheeks in her hands and pressed her lips to his once more. "I'm heading to bed. See you in the morning?"

"I'll be here."

* * *

Frank leaned back against Nancy's headboard, reading a book. She'd taken a phone call into the sunroom, and even though he was trying ridiculously hard, he couldn't help but wonder what it was about. After he'd read the same page about thirty times, she finally came back in. It didn't escape him that she was avoiding looking him in the face, causing his heart to speed.

"Everything okay?" he asked carefully.

"Um hm," she said, rifling through the clothes on the floor for her pajamas.

Frank didn't push her, though he didn't stop watching her. She changed quickly and slid into bed next to him, turning on her own reading light. He went back to trying to read his own book and managed to get through two pages.

"Okay, what is it?" He set down the book, not even leaving a finger in it to keep his place.

"What do you mean?" She, he noticed, did keep her finger in hers.

"Something's up, I can tell. I understand if the conversation was private, but can you at least tell me why you're acting so different?"

Instead of answering, she reached up and pulled him to her, kissing him harder than he had expected. Instead of backing off, she wound her arms around his neck, pushing closer to him with an urgency that stole his breath. Frank knew there was something he was supposed to be asking her about, but he no longer cared. His girlfriend was smart, beautiful, sassy, and kissing him. All was right in his world. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him, running his hands across the silky fabric she wore.

She moved her lips across his stubbled jaw, blazing a trail to his neck. Sensations were pinging through him from his head to his toes, before settling on a more central location.

Now that his mouth was free, he couldn't help but saw through short breaths, "Remind me to thank whoever just called you."

It was the wrong thing to say. Nancy froze before burying her face in his shoulder.

"Nancy?" He asked, suddenly worried. "Please tell me what's going on."

When she finally looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. "That was the agency."

"Oh." It had been so easy to forget that Nancy was a CIA operative. After what had happened in Bayport they'd extended her leave and as far as he knew, she hadn't heard from them since.

"They need me for a mission."

"When do you leave?" He asked, chest tight.

"Tomorrow."

"Oh," he said again. There wasn't much else to say. It was part of who she was, and there was no way he could ask her to quit. He didn't even want to.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right when I came in," she said, clutching his hand. "I just thought that maybe we could have one more night without worrying about the future, but I guess I kind of ruined that."

"No, you didn't," he said, then amended, "well, you didn't do a great job of keeping it to yourself, but I'm glad that you didn't."

"I feel really torn, Frank. One part of me wants to die at the thought of leaving you, but the other part of me is jumping with excitement. And then a third part feels ashamed about the second part."

Frank laughed and brought her hand up to his lips. "You don't need to feel ashamed. Yes, I will miss you like crazy, but I get it. It's part of what makes you Nancy Drew, and part of why I love you."

Relaxing just a little, she laid her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. "I love you, too."

He smiled and tightened his arms around her. "I know."

An hour later she was asleep on the other side of the bed. Frank, for his part, was wide awake and staring at the ceiling, one arm tucked behind his head. Letting his frustration get to him, he finally slipped out of bed and grabbed his phone. There was only one person he wanted to talk to just then.

"You better not be calling me to tell me about your latest experience with Nancy," Joe warned upon answering.

"What? When have I ever done that? I think you're confusing us again," Frank said with a laugh.

"Oh. Right. So what's up?"

They took turns filling each other on the happenings of the last few days, reveling in each other's successes. Frank wished he could be sitting there across from his brother, but a phone call did the trick in a pinch.

Joe was particularly upset that he wasn't around when Frank laid into Ned. "I can't believe you didn't hit him," he groaned.

"I know," Frank agreed, though he felt his face redden at the thought of his loss of control. "But now that I've had some distance I can see what a mistake it would have been."

"I don't care. It still would have been amazing."

Frank grunted in response.

"You know, I still can't believe you were working a case for Ned of all people."

Joe was sitting on the couch in Vanessa's living room. The two women were in their rooms, hopefully already asleep. It was late, especially compared to where Frank was, but his brother had been the one to call him.

"To be honest, me neither," Frank said with a laugh. "But at least now it's over."

"You can say that again."

"So how red in the face did Dad get when he showed up to see the police already talking to Sam and Vanessa's aunt?"

Joe's smile stretched his mouth, and he only wished his brother had been there with him to see it. "Oh, so red. The most beautiful shade..."

Frank chuckled. "You really shouldn't instigate him so much."

"Hey, it's not like I did it on purpose this time. This one pretty much fell into my lap. What kind of son would I be if I didn't milk it for what it was worth?"

Joe could almost hear his brother's eyes rolling, though Frank didn't bother contradicting him. "So you're at Vanessa's?"

"Yeah, just for the night, probably. They wanted to sleep well and feel safe."

"You're not... in her bed right now or anything, are you?" Frank sounded like he was afraid of the answer, and Joe had to laugh.

"No, Frank, I'm not."

"Well, that's a first."

Joe's voice quieted a little. "It's different with her. And I really, truly mean that."

"I know you do, little brother. You sound different."

"I mean, I really don't want to mess it up. I haven't cared about a girl, let myself care about a girl, since Iola."

Frank was momentarily taken aback by how easily the name came out of his brother's mouth. He hadn't spoken so openly of her in years. It struck him again that Vanessa was doing Joe more good than anyone could have hoped.

"Then just be honest with her. It's all you can do."

"I know," Joe said with a smile. "I was. I told her everything."

"What happened?"

"She... she hugged me. She understood." Joe's voice was still filled with disbelief. "I always figured that any girl I told would go running once faced with who I really am."

"You just have to find the right one."

"Frank," Joe said, full of apprehension. "I think I found her. I mean, I really think I found the girl for me."

One reason out of a thousand why Joe loved his brother is that Frank didn't tell him to slow down, or to think about it more, or that it was just infatuation. He trusted Joe to know what he was feeling.

"That's great, Joe. Believe me when I say I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks. So when are you coming back?"

Frank shrugged, though his brother couldn't see him. "Probably tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

"Nancy got a call from the agency. She's got an assignment that starts tomorrow."

"Already? I thought she was still on leave." Joe knew that his brother was putting up a brave front but that the news was crushing him. The late night phone call finally made sense.

Frank shrugged even though Joe couldn't see it. "She was, but apparently they really needed her for this one."

"Bummer, man."

"Yeah." Frank was silent for a moment and Joe could picture him picking at something. "It's part of who she is, though, you know? I can't be that guy. I can't be..."

"Ned," Joe finished for him.

"Exactly. And that's apparent now more than ever. I have to let her be who she is or I'll lose her."

"It's true," he agreed. "Don't worry; she'll come back to you."

"I really hope so," Frank said sadly.

"So when do you want to get picked up from the airport?"

"I'm going to check flights in the morning. Can I call you then?"

"I'd be offended if you didn't."

"Okay," Frank said, then yawned. Talking to his best friend had relaxed him enough to feel tired. "Thanks, Joe."

"Get some sleep, big brother. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

* * *

Frank made his way through the terminal, rolling his bag along behind him. He and Nancy had both left from the Chicago airport at the same time, though her flight had been bound for D.C. Their goodbye at her gate had been the most heart wrenching thing he'd ever experienced. The only thing keeping him together was knowing that she should be calling him soon.

Finally making his way to the passenger pick up, he saw his brother's unmistakable car idling by the curb. Joe got out and grabbed his bag, throwing it into the truck.

He took one look at Frank's sad face and threw his arms arms around him. They didn't even do any of the man-hug back patting. Frank clung to his brother, willing his emotions to go back into their cave.

Joe pulled away and held his brother by the shoulders. He thought of all the different things he could say - most of it a load of crap. Finally he settled on just the right thing.

"Dad's got a case for us."

Frank surreptitiously wiped at his eyes and laughed, a grin melting away his sad emotions.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

**Fin. **

**Well, it's been a wild ride! Thank you for sticking with it. You are all amazing, wonderful, awesome people for taking time to read. And if you've reviewed, multiply that by a million.**

**I'm doing another book giveaway! If you want a Supermystery, send me a private message with your info. Also tell me which ones you already own so you don't get a duplicate. Depending on how many people message me, I'll randomly select a few. The last day to message me will be July 17th, 2013. I'll be sure to let you know if you've been selected so that you know to look for something in the mail.**

**It's the best I can do to say thank you for your support of my writing. **

**And don't worry - I'll be back again!**


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